54 MODES OF RESEARCH IN GENETICS 



III 



Let us now turn to a consideration of some of the 

 ways in which biometrical methods may be of 

 immediate value to the progress of biology. 

 What has biometry to offer to biology that is 

 useful? Or, in other words, what is the signifi- 

 cance of biometry? 



Stated most broadly it may be said that biom- 

 etry brings to biology a fairly well developed 

 method or system for the more precise, accurate, 

 and complete description of biological phenomena. 

 Biometry is, in last analysis, a descriptive method. 

 Like all other descriptive methods, or phases of 

 science, it is not likely in and by itself ever to 

 solve completely any problems. It must always 

 work in conjunction with the experimental method 

 to attain the highest (i.e., most valuable) type of 

 results. But at the same time it brings to the 

 aid of the experimentalist that which is of the ut- 

 most importance ; namely, an adequate method of 

 describing, analyzing, and in general reaching 

 correct conclusions from the results of experimenta- 

 tion. 



Biometry affords an extension of descriptive 

 methods in a direction where such an extension is 

 often an absolute requisite of truly scientific work, 

 and in a direction where no other method is avail- 

 able. Ordinary biological observation and de- 

 scription has as its unit the individual, or some part 



