NOTES AND LITERATURE 



BIOMETRICS 



In spite of the great development of biometric work, and of 

 the application of statistical conceptions and methods in a num- 

 ber of fields of science other than biological, during the last 

 decade there has been produced np to the present time no fully 

 satisfactory introduction to the elementary principles of modern 

 statistical methods. The books which have appeared in this field 

 have been, broadly speaking, either {a) too technical and ad- 

 vanced in their treatment, or (6) compilations of formula? 

 with so little in the way of guiding principles as actually to 

 lead any but the already expert into many difficulties, or (c) 

 incomplete, incorrect and superficial at vital points, or finally, 

 (d) have appealed to a very limited class of readers by develop- 

 ing the subject in direct relation to a narrow field of science only. 

 This need for a comprehensive, elementary and sound introduc- 

 tion to statistical methods is admirably met in a recently pub- 

 lished book by Yule. 1 



(I) The Theory o^^bu^(nT™ Theory of Variables, 

 (HI) The Theory of Sampling. In the first part the author 



The second part of the book takes up the discussion of fre- 

 quency distributions and their physical constants, and the ele- 

 mentary theory of correlation and its applications, ending with 

 an account of multiple and partial correlation. Here we are 

 dealing with matters of immediate practical importance in the 

 application of statistical methods to all kinds of scientific prob- 

 lems. It would be difficult to say too much in commendation 

 of the author's method of treating these subjects. No knowledge 



l Yule, G. Udny, "An Introduction to the Theory of Statistics," Lon- 

 don (Chas. Griffin & Co.), 1911, pp. xiii + 376. 



319 



