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To the experienced eye, racial types have a physiognomy which is unmistakable on mere inspection. But you cannot transfer the experienced eye. You can only express personal conviction and back it up with measurements.

The above is a part of "Percival Bland's Proxy" by Austin R. Freeman, which is kind of medico-legal detective novel.

The word 'transfer' in the above sentence seems to be used in different context, other than normal meaning of 'moving one place to another or similar situation'.

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    It means that one cannot bestow upon another an experienced eye. I.e., one cannot simply transfer the experience required to recognize racial types- it must be gained over time; through experience.
    – Jim
    Commented Jun 1, 2016 at 5:40

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One meaning of transfer is to give something to another person, and that's the meaning being employed here.

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/transfer

trans·fer  (trăns-fûr′, trăns′fər)
v. trans·ferred, trans·fer·ring, trans·fers
v.tr.
1. To convey or cause to pass from one place, person, or thing to another.
2. Law To make over the possession or legal title of (property, for example); convey.
3. To convey (a design, for example) from one surface to another, as by impression.
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  • True, but I'd like to note that the well-known word for giving an organ (which a eye is) to another person is called a "transplant", so I wonder it is either a clue or irony the author used "transfer".
    – tomByrer
    Commented Mar 30, 2020 at 6:40

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