Mr. F. Galton on Statistics by Intercomparison. 33 



the sun itself to volatilize carbon — why, even if the small comets 

 said, in the Philosophical Transactions, to be throwing off the 

 incandescent vapour of carbon every night they were under ob- 

 servation, even in a dark and cold sky, had been taken thence and 

 placed on the very surface of the sun itself, and had experienced 

 there not only the heat which that other comet had experienced 

 of earth's x 47,000, but earth's x 300,000, they could not have 

 shown a pure carbon-spectrum. 



As our sun, according to Father Secchi, ranks only among 

 the yellow stars, and they are supposed not to be so hot as the 

 white stars, perhaps the vapour of carbon may exist glowing and 

 incandescent in Sirius, which is so noted a member of the latter 

 class of stars. We ma}', too, perhaps be privileged to see the 

 actual and real spectral lines of carbon there, in any good tele- 

 spectroscope — but with the drawback that, however plainly the 

 lines may appear in themselves, we cannot recognize their chemical 

 origin and assign them their true name, because neither has man 

 ever yet volatilized pure carbon, nor has any angel (in default of 

 theory) ever told us the wave-lengths of carbon-lines when the 

 carbon has been volatilized by a higher power. 



Hydrocarbon compound it is given to man to volatilize and 

 spectroscope ; and he should be thankful for its many admirable 

 uses; but as to the spectrum of the pure carbon element being 

 seen in the base of the flame of every little candle made and set 

 alight by human hands, it would be well if certain modern men, 

 and the secret committee of the Royal Society in particular, were 

 to come forward openly and confess with deep contrition in the 

 words of ancient Job, 



" I have uttered that I understood not ; things too wonderful 

 for me, which I knew not." 



" Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes." 



IV. Statistics by Intercomparison, with Remarks on the Law of 

 Frequency of Error. By Francis Galton, F.R.S* 



MY object is to describe a method for obtaining simple sta- 

 tistical results which has the merit of being applicable to 

 a multitude of objects lying outside the present limits of statis- 

 tical inquiry, and which, 1 believe, may prove of service in various 

 branches of anthropological research. It has already been pro- 

 posed (Lecture, Royal Institution, Friday evening, February 27, 

 1874), and in some degree acted upon (' Hereditary Genius/ 

 p. 26), by myself. What I have now to offer is a more complete 

 explanation and a considerable development of previous views. 



* Communicated by the Author. 

 -Phil. Mag. S. 4. Vol. 49. No. 322. Jan. 1875. I) 



