240 



SCIENCE. 



[Vol. IX., No. 214 



Even in so small a number as one thousand, 

 the relative distribution of vs^ords is approximately 

 the same as in a much larger number, although, 

 as would naturally be expected, accidental varia- 

 tions or ' runs ' overshadow personal characteris- 



placing the numbers showing letters in each word 

 at points along a horizontal line separated from 

 each other by equal distances, above each of these 

 place other points whose distance from the base 

 line shall be proportional to the number of such 

 words in a thousand ; then join these points by a 

 broken line, and the characteristic curve is shown. 

 Fig. 1 shows the curve thus constructed from 

 the first thousand words in ' Oliver Twist,' the 

 numerical analysis of which is shown above. 



Fig. 4. — Two groups, of five thousand words bach, from ' Oliver Twist.' 



tics to a great extent ; but not completely, as will 

 be seen in the characteristic curves shown in the 

 following pages. In fact, when the ten groups, 

 of a thousand words each, from Dickens, are 

 compared with ten similar groups from John 

 Stuart Mill, no one of the first set could by 

 any possibility be mistaken for any one of the 

 second. 



The graphic representation of the results will be 

 readily understood. It is only necessary to take a 

 sheet of ' squared ' paper, or paper ruled in two 

 directions at right angles to each other, and, after 



The next diagram (fig. 2) exhibits five curves 

 constructed from the first five thousand words 

 the same from work, in groups of one thousand 

 each. It is presented in order to show the varia- 

 tion among groups based on a relatively small 

 number of words. 



The superiority of this method over that of 

 simple word averages, as suggested by DeMorgan, 

 is clearly shown in fig. 3, which exhibits two con- 

 secutive groups, of one thousand words each, 

 from 'Vanity fair.' The numerical analysis of 

 these groups is as follows : — 



