Preface 



Each paper in this collection has 

 been selected for one or more reasons. 

 It may have served to focus attention 

 on a particular facet of genetics. It may 

 illustrate well the impact the study of 

 genetics has on biology or on social 

 and racial relationships. It may have 

 embodied a particular idea unique at 

 the time of publication that has led to 

 extensive research by other geneticists, 

 in many cases still continuing today. 

 It may provide a brilliant example of 

 the use of the scientific method. It may 

 furnish a clear-cut, concise illustration 

 of incisive reasoning. One or two have 

 the added virtue of having been writ- 

 ten in an entertaining style. 



In each case, they are evidence of 

 work considered to constitute "classic" 

 contributions to the science of biology. 

 Taken as a unit, they have done much 

 to give form and direction to genetic 

 research. Their vitality is unimpaired 

 by age, and their repeated citation in 

 bibliographies of current literature or 

 on seminar reading lists testifies that 

 they are still important sources of in- 

 formation. 



You should not expect, and will not 

 find, any attempt by an author to 

 "write down" to the level of his 

 readers, for the primary concern is 

 neither popularization nor condensa- 

 tion, but rather, adequate presentation. 

 There is an assumption by the authors 

 that the reader has some biological 

 background. Lack of this background 

 should not handicap anyone in follow- 

 ing the development of the basic ideas. 

 Most of the major steps in the develop- 

 ment of the gene theory are here, and 

 the nature of the material discussed by 



each author was as new to biology at 

 the time of writing as to any reader 

 meeting it for the first time today. 



This collection of papers served as 

 the basis for a course in introductory 

 biology taught for two years at Brown 

 University. Many of these students had 

 had no previous training in biologv% 

 but they demonstrated most satisfac- 

 torily that a neophyte in science can 

 read, understand, and profit from a 

 direct experience with the original 

 literature of a particular field. Some 

 guidance was necessary, and much was 

 given in class. It is presented here in the 

 form of an introduction to each paper. 

 Little or no interpretation of the paper 

 will be found in the introduction, how- 

 ever, for this interferes with the rela- 

 tionship between the author and the 

 reader. All authors attempt to express 

 their ideas clearly to the reader, and it 

 is only fair to let them do so if they 

 can. At the same time, the reader who 

 follows an author's logic can feel that 

 he has received his information from 

 the primary source, and he is no longer 

 dependent upon second hand interpre- 

 tation of research. 



It is my pleasure to acknowledge the 

 permission granted by the publishers 

 and authors to reproduce the papers in 

 this volume. Citations to the original 

 source are included with each paper. 

 All of the journals are still being pub- 

 lished except the Report of the Evolu- 

 tion Committee of the Royal Society, 

 and they contain a continuing record 

 of recent activities and researches. It 

 would repay the reader to look over 

 them occasionally to see what solutions 

 have been oflFered to the many ques- 



iii 



