Characterisation, especially by Letters 



489 



and they would be useful for that. It takes many failures before a 7ieat collection can 

 be made, equal in depth of tint and all clear. What shall I tell Randall* to collect for 

 you next? 



Enclosed I also send back your own family prints that, if you would 

 kindly do so, you might add to them a more complete print of your sister's 

 right forefinger. This one has been printed too much on the tip, as in 



Fig. e, instead of thus 



consequently, a very interesting 



F.g.e 



part of it is left out. Please let me have them all back. I shall be able to tell you more about 

 hereditary matters in a few days. I get much better results even than those of your family. 

 They take time to work up. 



Yesterday evening's post brought me the enclosed from you on the 14-21 patterns, dated (? by 

 mistake) February 22. So I treated it as subsequent to the one received yesterday morning, 

 Feb. 29, though the latter contained "certains" and "doubtfuls"; was I right? There seems no 

 racial difference, and it also appears that the English group (at least) is very discordant inter se. 

 Please let me have it back. 



If all your work should end by showing that race goes for nothing, and if (as I am sure it 

 will) the other work testifies to hereditary transmission, we shall have got, not what was hoped 

 for, but something quite different and of great interest of its own, namely a perfect instance of 

 the effects of "panmixia." This will be charming. There is none other that I know of that 

 approaches it in completeness. The whole subject becomes more and more curious. About the 

 Bar-lock f: I made good progress, but domestic arrangements interfere with its use, at least 

 at present. I write in three different rooms and the click of the thing in the drawing-room 

 ■Iter dinner is voted a nuisance. So I sent it back. However my back study is being now fitted 

 up with extra shelves and will be turned into a liveable room, and I may perhaps before long 

 revert to the Bar-lock. 



Very sincerely yours, Francis Galton. 



Just before I finished the above, the packet of relations' cards arrived by post. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. May 13, 1892. 



Dear Mr Collins, The results are certainly very curious of the 31 F.'s and M.'s and of the 

 44 sons and 83 daughters. The comparison between a parent influencing the patterns of the 

 offspring of the same or of opposite sexes shows approximate equality, thus : 



* Sergeant Randall, the officer in charge of Galton's Anthropometric Laboratorj'. 

 1 At the suggestion of Howard Collins Galton started a typewriter, but typewriting never 

 became customary with him. 



pom 62 



