490 



Life and Letters of Francis Galtoti 



But when the comparison is made between the paternal and maternal influences it certainly 

 (Ices mem that the father's influence on the son is uncommonly smaller than the mother's 

 influence on the daughter : 



Paternal Influence 



F. S. 



F. D. 



18 52 



\ / 



70 



44 111 



\ / 



155 



Maternal Influence 



M. S. 



M. D. 



31 69 



\ / 

 100 



on same fingers 



72 166 



\ / 

 238 



on opposite fingers 



It is 18 against 69. It is true that there are only half as many sons as daughters: therefore 

 the corrected proportions are as 36 to 69, but this is an enormous difference ; too great for mere 

 chance, apparently. Also, the other figures give 88 against 166. The influence of mother on son 

 seems also equal to that of mother on daughter : the figures uncorrected being 31 : 69, 72 : 166, 

 or corrected by doubling the sons, 62 : 69, 144 : 166. On comparing paternal with maternal 

 influences, the results are not sufficiently congruent, for 70 : 100 (14-3) is a different ratio from 

 155 : 238 (13-5). One must not be too much impressed by the lesser magnitude of the latter 

 number. It would be fairer to compare the number of the 31 families in which the maternal 

 influence prevailed, than to compare the individuals in those families. Taking the last paragraph 

 into account, I should not dare to ascribe to the results more than a suspicion that the 

 mother's influence is stronger than the father's. This really ought to he worked out and placed 

 beyond doubt*. I will see what evidence I can collect for you. In haste, 



Very faithfully yours, Francis Galton. 

 A Bar-lock is busy in my room, copying the MS. at a great rate. 



42, Kutland Gate, S.W. May 29, 1892. 



Dear Mr Collins, Here is all that seems to come out of the fraternal heredity. (I will leave 

 the maternal, just for the present.) It would be satisfactory were it not for the curious anomaly 

 of the loops, referred to in the last paragraph. Also, I cannot succeed in bringing these data 

 within the grip of the formula in Natural Inheritance, or even to make a proper comparison 

 between the two. It is too puzzling for me at present, the problem being a peculiar one. These 

 data give one much to think about. I will go again at Race now. If a. Royal Society paper can 

 be made out of the Heredity and Race, it will have at this late season of the year to be merely 

 nominally read. There is only one meeting after the next, towards the third week in June, and 

 that is technically called the " Massacre of the Innocents." The papers are not read except 

 hurriedly, or only their titles ; but they get printed all the same. I am pegging away steadily 

 but the work is slow. 



I am truly glad that you really like the book thus far. The chapter on Identification will 

 he greatly improved. The first Introductory Chapter will of course now be written the last. 

 Hardly any of that which was done will do now. 



What a glorious day Saturday was. I rushed off after luncheon finding there was just time 

 to catch a special Saturday train to Hampton Court. The boats on the river were most pretty 

 and numerous, and full of nice, merry-looking people. 



Very faithfully yours, Francis Galton. 



* I have had to correct Galton's figures in the above schemes, and, corrected, they modify 

 to some extent the results as they stood in his letter. I have cancelled the very strong he put 

 before suspicion. On the point in question : see Vol. iii a , p. 192. 



