Characterisation, especially by Letters \11 



from neglecting important data. No doubt, however, you have remarked that the soldiers — 

 the accepted men — of German birth are usually ranked high for their physique in Baxter's 

 Statistics (see Vol. i, p. 169 and again pp. 182, 215, on the one side, and pp. 199, 206, 227, on the 

 other). I cannot find in my English statistics any sign of the dark race supplanting the fair. 

 The persistence of the proportions during four generations between them (see Diagram on p. 405, 

 Royal Soc. Proceed., 1887* — I send the memoir "Hereditary Eye-Colour" for your acceptance) is 

 very remarkable. Neither do my data show that either is more prolific or less healthy than the 

 other. The data are but scanty; still I imagine that the English climate and surroundings may 

 In 1 equally suited to the two types. Moreover the Scandinavian contingent to our population, 

 contributing largely to the blond type in Eastern England and Scotland, seems the most 

 vigorous though least aesthetic of all our stocks. I have failed in obtaining trustworthy results 

 from my data concerning sexual predilection for, or aversion from, concolour marriages; there 

 are too many interfering causes of importance on which I am insufficiently informed. It is, as 

 you most justly say, among the irregular liaisons that data are most preferably to be Bought. 

 Together with the "Hereditary Eye-Colour" I send " Hereditary Stature" which will I fear hardly 

 interest you being very mathematical in its reasoning, but as the Eye-colour inquiry depends on 

 formulae derived from it I may as well send it also. It also describes my data. Thirdly I send 

 a recent Presidential address, the last part of which beginning at p. 394 may be worth while 

 glancing at. 



When I had the great pleasure of making your personal acquaintance a little more than a year 

 ago, you were in domestic anxiety. If you should ever again favour me with a letter, I should 

 lie very glad to learn that that anxiety was lessened. 



Believe me, my dear Sir, Very faithfully yours, Francis Galton. 



Genkve. 20 avril, 1888. 



Mox cher Monsieur, II y a longtemps que j'aurais du vous donner signe de vie en reponse 

 a votre lettre obligeante du 26 mai dernier, mais I'age m'a rendu tres lent et m'empeche de faire 

 des recherches d'aucun genre. J'aimerais pourtant bien savoir si vous avancez dans vos utiles 

 publications, auxquelles je porterai toujours de l'intcret. 



Un de mes derniers efforts a. ete de rediger pour la Societe de Psychologie physiologique 

 fondee a Paris, une serie de questions a poser sur l'heredite. J'ai su, par M. Taine, que la 

 Suciite a recu des reponses et qu'on s'occupe de les utiliser. Reste a savoir comment les per- 

 sonnes questionnees out 6te a la hauteur d'impartialite et de jugement nccessaire. La lecture 

 de la correspondance de votre celebre cousin Charles Darwin m'a cause beaucoup de plaisir. 

 J'aurais bien aime connaitre les questions qu'il agitait avec Sir Joseph Hooker, en 1852-54, 

 lorsque je m'occupais moi-meme de l'origine des especes au point de vue geographique, ce qui 

 me conduisait en 1855 a constater l'anciennete geologique des causes de la distribution actuelle. 

 Dun autre cote cela m'anrait retarde dans les recherches et je n'aurais publie ma Geographie 

 botanique raisonnSe que plus tard, apres peut-etre l'ouvrage classique de Darwin (1859). II y 

 a dans ses lettres des phrases caracteristiques et admirahles sur les principes et les methodes 

 dans les science- d'oDServation. Je veux relire les trois volumes pour les extraire. Quelle re- 

 marquable exposition des idees successive de l'auteur! On ne trouve rien de pareil dans 

 Montaigne, Gibbon, Rousseau et autres qui oat emit sur eux-memes trop tard et avec une 

 impartialite souvent douteuse. 



L'hiver a cause des desastres en Suisse comme ailleurs. Ici ce sont surtout des avalanches. 

 Malgre cela nos lacs et nos Alpes auront toujours de l'attrait. Ne viendrez vous pas les visiter 

 de nouveau cet etc? Ce serait fort agreable pour votre tres devoue 



Alpii. de Candolle. 



Letter to Alphonse de Candolle. 



42, Rutland Gate, London. May 6, 1888. 



My DBAK Sir, It gave me very great pleasure to hear from you about a fortnight ago, and 

 I should have replied at once only I thought the enclosed scrap (winch might have been printed 

 a week earlier) would interest you and I delayed till I got it. Dr Venn's memoir will not appear 



* Reproduced in Vol. m A , p. 35 of this work. 



