vi PREFACE 



metric work which is being turned out in ever- 

 increasing volume. 



Demands which have come to the writer from 

 teachers of genetics and biometry in various 

 agricultural colleges and universities for separate 

 copies of one of the papers reprinted in this volume, 

 in order that they might put it in the hands of 

 their students, have suggested that there is a rather 

 widespread and genuine desire to examine care- 

 fully the underlying methodological bases of 

 modern genetic science. 



It is hoped that the present volume may serve 

 as an introduction to this subject. Even though 

 the reader may not agree with either the reasoning 

 or the conclusions, if he is stirred up to further 

 thought and reading about the matter, the purpose 

 of the writer will have been served. In these days 

 of extreme specialization and great activity in 

 biological research far too little attention is paid 

 to the fundamental philosophical background of 

 science. 



The writer wishes to acknowledge his indebted- 

 ness to Professor H. S. Jennings for very helpful 

 suggestions and criticisms in regard to the prob- 

 lems discussed in Chapter III, and to Professor 

 J. McKeen Cattell, for permission to reprint from 

 Science and the American Naturalist such por- 

 tions of the book as have already appeared in 

 those journals. 



