256 



The Journal of Heredity 



for his results, whereas all that we know 

 from live-stock breeding history, and 

 from experimental data, would indicate 

 that the i)rimar\' factor in Lavcrack's 

 success was inbreeding. Whether or 

 not this is true, in any event the whole 

 course of genetic knowledge during the 

 last fifteen years shows most clearly 

 that it is not wise to insist on any one 

 factor as the exclusively important one 

 in interpreting natural evolution or 

 breeding practice. 



In the third place, the author is 

 cither grossly ignorant of the literature 

 of biology and ])h\'siology or else feels 

 imjjcllcd in his theorizing to soar above 

 all ijaltry consideration of ascertained 

 biological fact. There are few pages 

 of the book which do not contain some 

 statement, put in the form of a positive, 

 dogmatic assertion, which cither has 

 no foundation in fact whatever because 

 the subject has never been investigated, 

 or is contrary to well-known data in 

 the literature of biology. For example, 

 to take a perfectly random chance, the 

 place where the book falls open as I 

 write these words is p. 145. In the 

 middle of that page occurs this state- 

 ment: 



"The amount of butter fat produced 

 by a cow depends upon two factors, one 

 of which is the quantity of milk pro- 

 duced, and the other of which is the 

 jicrcentagc of fat in the milk. Of those, 

 the percentage of fat is more highly 

 variable than the quantity of milk and is 

 the more important factor in deter- 

 mining a cow's admission to the Ad- 

 vanced Registry." 



For the portion of the statement in 

 italics (mine) 1 know of no warrant in 

 fact whatever. All the quantitative 

 studies on the variability of milk which 

 have ever been published, including 

 those of Gavin, Pearson, and Vigor, 

 show that quantity of milk is relatively 

 (measured by coefficient of variation) 

 more variable than per cent of fat, in 

 the ratio nearly of 2 to 1. 



On the inside front cover of each 

 issue of this journal stands the following 

 statement as to one of the objects of 

 the American Genetic Association: "The 

 Association constantly strives to' further 

 the cause of conservative, constructive 

 science and to check the progress of 

 fallacious and sensational pseudo-sci- 

 ence." With the purpose of contrib- 

 uting in some small measure to the 

 worthy object of checking the progress 

 of pseudo-science this review hai; been 

 written. Like all pseudo-science, Mr. 

 Rcdfield's is a conglomerate mixture 

 of the true, the false and the unknown. 

 There undoubtedly is "something in 

 it." There is, for example, an increas- 

 ing body of evidence that there exists 

 quite generally a correlation between 

 birth order and certain other characters 

 of the organism. In so far age of par- 

 ents is to be considered as a factor to be 

 regarded in an analysis of breeding 

 results. But the methods by which 

 it is sought to make it apjjcar that this 

 is a factor of overwhelmingly great 

 importance, involving as they do all the 

 discussion of the hereditary transmission 

 of accumulated energy, do not form any 

 ]jart of what the reviewer unelerstands 

 as science. 



Annual Meeting of A. G. A. 



Plans are rajiidly being ccjmpleted for the annual meeting of the Ame^riean 

 Genetic Association at Berkeley, August 2-7. It ]jromises to be one of the most 

 successful yet held, in ])oint of excellence of program. Members who may be 

 going to the Pacific coast in the late summer are urged to arrange their itinerary 

 so that they may be present at this meeting. 



Eugenics Research Association 



The Eugenics Research Asse)ciation will hold its annual meeting at San Francisco 

 August 2-5, in connection with the annual meeting of the American Genetic and 

 other associations. Particulars can be obtained from the secretary, William F. 

 Blades, Cold Sjjring Harbor, Long Island, N. Y. 



