Characterisation, especially by Letters 501 



What do you think? The question suddenly presses, as I find that the Committees of the 

 Royal Society are formed at its Council next Thursday. 



Failing a better name I would propose to the Council of the Royal Society that our present 

 title be changed as above to "Phylometric Committee." What do you say? I wrote to 

 Weldon and to F. Darwin in the same sense. Also I should propose to ask the Council to add 

 the words "with power to add ordinary and accessory members." 



"Accessory" is a phrase in use at the Royal Society to signify, as I understand from 

 Harrison, either non-fellows or paid fellows or both. Do you agree? 



Very faithfully yours, Francis Galton. 



P.S. I have looked up the Minute of Council under which we were originally appointed. 

 It was on Jan. 18, 1894 — Minutes, p. 71: "...for conducting statistical inquiries into the 

 measurable characteristics of plants and animals." The notice of our Friday meeting is gone 

 back for revise so you will not get a copy before Wednesday. F. G. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. February 15, 1897. 



My dkar Professor K. Pearson, You will not, I am sure, doubt that I fully share the 

 view that the future of biology lies mainly in exact treatment of homogeneous statistical 

 material. The first thing is to get it. Now the Sub-Committee seems to me better adapted than 

 perhaps any other collection of men that could be named, to do this. They represent between 

 them the departments of mammals, birds, fishes and insects. They know the conditions of 

 rearing and the existing workers, and they have the confidence of the latter. I have already 

 a considerable list of suggested experiments such as would be statistically serviceable. The details 

 of each would be of course a serious problem, so to be arranged that neither sterility nor 

 disease shall interfere with it, and, again, such that will lead to no ambiguous results. After 

 Tuesday's meeting of the Committee it will be more easy than it is now to anticipate, but 

 at present I am in high hopes that we shall ultimately succeed in the really important task 

 of controlling, in a useful sense, a vast amount of existing work that is wasted for want of 

 scientific sympathy, criticism and encouragement. It must always be borne in mind that we 

 are dealing with human workers, who have their own ideas which must be respected and 

 humoured, if we are to gain their cordial co-operation. We have, to speak rather grandly, 

 statesmanship problems to deal with. I trust we shall often have occasion to consult with you 

 as to the best of alternative plans. Just now, we must busy ourselves in finding out lines of 

 least resistance in pushing forward our nascent work. Very faithfully yours, Francis Galton. 



I had warned Francis Galton that his Committee, extended into an 

 "omnium gatherum" of various schools of biological thought, would achieve 

 nothing further in the way of "conducting statistical inquiries into the 

 measurable characters of plants and animals" — a prophecy which unfor- 

 tunately was only too soon and too fully realised. 



42, Rutland Gate, S.W. March 14, 1897. 



Dear Professor K. Pearson, Pray try and forgive my troubling you with a question. It 

 is whether the enclosed problem is a recognised one and, if so, where I can read about it? 

 I have a big batch of very promising statistics in which it would be very serviceable, and at 

 present I do not see my way clearly in respect to it. Any guidance from you would be most 

 acceptable. Very faithfully yours, Francis Galton. 



If, when your proofs of spurious correlation reach you, you could spare me one copy I should 

 be much obliged. 



A Problem relating to Fallible Judgments. 



Suppose two kinds of balls, A and B, which differ so little as to be often mistaken for one 

 another when viewed somewhat carelessly, though they are surely distinguishable on minute 

 scrutiny. A rather careless examiner, No. 1, is given a batch of 1000 of these mixed balls, in 

 which there are known to be a balls of the A kind. He has to select out of them the a balls 



