166 THE MENDEL JOURNAL 



to be operating in Man, there is no reason to believe 

 that when the offspring of mixed races are adequately- 

 analysed, it wWl be found that Mendehan principles 

 are not also operating among them, whether in respect 

 to skin colour or other characters. (3) That we cannot 

 formulate a prediction of the results which will follow a 

 crossing of an European and a negro, and of the subsequent 

 matings between the hybrids in their different degrees, 

 until we have first ascertained the nature and the number 

 of the gametic factors which determine skin colour in 

 the negro and the European. This last consideration 

 is the essential basis of all Mendehan predictions, and 

 these factors have not yet been ascertained in regard to the 

 transmission of skin colour in mixed races of Man. And, 

 therefore, no Mendehan — whatever a Biometrician may 

 be inclined to do — will be so " ridiculous " as to make 

 predictions until he has first ascertained his essential 

 facts. Tf it is necessary for the purpose of what we have 

 been told is a " most exact and purely descriptive science 

 of Biometry " to call in the aid of working hypotheses — 

 just hke any mere Biologist — then please let the Bio- 

 metrician inscribe them on his own banner and not impute 

 them to us. 



We may pass now to consider the evidence of Professor 

 Pearson's correspondent, and see whether it does not 

 indicate some of those signs that we associate with 

 segregation. Perhaps it will be best if we give in a 

 summarised form the actual results of the matings, as 

 far as they are described in Professor Pearson's note. 

 We may then subsequently proceed to ask ourselves what 

 results we should expect if the hereditary transmission 

 of skin colour in mixed races is a process of blending 

 and not one of segregation. Having arrived at some 

 decision on that point, we can then compare our expecta- 

 tion vnth. Professor Pearson's evidence, and note to 

 what degree they coincide or diverge. If the comparison 

 is indefinite and inconclusive, we may further 

 proceed to consider certain possibilities which at once 

 suggest themselves to the Mendehan, but which 

 appear to have escaped the Biometrician. Having 

 stated these possibilities we shall then consider 



