SKIN COLOUR 165 



cent, negroes in skin colour." And question 4 is, from 

 the Mendelian standpoint, even more objectionably 

 framed, for here we pass from an abstraction called a 

 " theory " to concrete persons called " theorists." 

 It reads thus: "(4) Mulatto < mulatto. Does or does 

 not this cross usually give a mulatto in colour ? The 

 theorists say that 25 per cent, should be pure white 

 skins, 25 per cent, pure black skins, and only 50 per 

 cent, mulattoes." The unconscious prejudice which such 

 a mode of questioning tends to create is manifested in 

 the correspondent's fourth answer : " This statement 

 of those whom you call the theorists is the most ridicu- 

 lously incorrect of the lot." The imputed " theorists " 

 are thus at once condemned as " ridiculous people." 

 They are not even heard in their OMn defence. 

 Fortunately, as we shall see presently, . the real 

 "theorists" — "the most ridiculous persons" — are not 

 Mendehans but Biometricians in a hurry to frame 

 too simple formulse. Between Professor Pearson in 

 ■' Biometrika " and popular writers in daily newspapers, 

 the poor Mendelian, upon whose shoulders the 

 burden of unwarranted assumptions has been placed, 

 must be already cursed with a reputation in the West 

 Indies that will ensure his due execution without trial 

 when he makes his appearance in that country. 



Now, who are tne " theorists " ? If by this term 

 is imphed the Mendehans, Professor Pearson, as a man 

 of science, will know there is a canon extant in science, that 

 is as the " law of the Medes and Persians," which 

 requires the full reference to the authority who has 

 been quoted. Will he be good enough to quote the 

 actual words of any Mendelian who uttered such state- 

 ments as those impliedly attributed to him in the questions 

 above ? We may say at once, for the information of 

 our readers and for the future guidance of Biometricians, 

 that no Mendelian has ever made any such predictions. 

 In effect, what the Mendehans have said is this : (1) 

 That we have not at present before us evidence which 

 has been sufficiently analysed to justify a statement 

 one way or the other. (2) That since in human eye-colour, 

 in Avhite hair tufts and in some pathological or abnormal 

 traits, Mendehan principles have been clearly demonstrated 



