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to put it on, only for the purpose of creating an 

 opportunity of throwing it off, that is an exercise which 

 he is at perfect Hberty to practise. But it is unkind of 

 him to accuse us of perpetrating the cruel act of placing 

 such a veritable crown of thorns as the " Law of 

 Ancestral Inheritance " upon his head. 



With regard to the maintenance of a critical spirit in 

 dealing with observations and theories in science, we 

 are all agreed. But we may, in conclusion, express the 

 hope that those who are subjected to criticism should 

 endeavour to fairly read the comments and to grasp the 

 spirit of the critic. If that were done, " militant 

 rhetoric " would not be found where it does not exist, 

 and " caustic comments " would assume the appearance 

 of an honest and even genial attempt to deal with 

 problems in which many find an interest, but who 

 approach them from different standpoints ? 



Nothing was further from our intention than to make 

 any " caustic comments " upon the memoir of Dr. Pearl 

 and his wife. The paper from the standpoint of Mendelism 

 appeared to require comment. With much of Dr. Pearl's 

 recent and experimental work we are in accord, and could 

 only write of it in terms of the fullest admiration. 



