Abstract of Articles in Biometrika, Vol. III. Parts II. and III. 
March — July, 1904. 
(1) This double number contains two memoirs dealing with the selection of small variations. 
In the first Dr H. E. Crampton presents us with the first of his studies on variation and elimina- 
tion in Philosamia cynthia. He demonstrates that elimination actually does occur during 
pupal existence as well as at the time of metamorphosis. The individuals who successfully 
survive these conditions are in some respects structurally different and on the whole less variable 
than those that do not. Natural selection thus certainly exists for the material under con- 
sideration. According to Dr Crampton the selection must be considered as indirect, i.e. due to 
correlation, for it can hardly be considered, for example, that stouter antennae can be of service 
to the pupa, when it does not use them, and yet the less stout antennae are eliminated in the 
pupal stage. In short the test of fitness or unfitness has reference to the physiological coordina- 
tion among the constituent elements of the whole organism, and does not necessarily depend 
upon the iise advantage at a particular stage. 
In the second paper W. F. R. Weldon deals with the problem as to whether small variations 
in the form of the shell spiral in a race of Glausilia exhibit sensible selection between the young 
and the adult stage. A previous investigation into another race of Glausilia had aflTorded strong 
evidence of such periodic selection. Contrary to his experience in the case of C. laminata, no 
evidence of selective elimination could be discovered in the shell characters investigated in 
C. itala. We are therefore compelled to conclude (i) either that the young were collected after 
the main selection had taken place or (ii) that the envii-onment is so favoui'able that at jjresent 
no selection is taking place. Taken in conjunction with Crampton 's results and the earlier work 
on C. laminata we must assert that while selection of small variations certainly does take place 
in very different forms of life, it is not universally occuri-ing in all species under every environ- 
ment in every period. 
(2) A second paper. On the Laws of Inheritance in Man, deals with the inheritance of the 
mental and moral characters and its relation to that of the physical. The method of the paper 
is the comparison of the intensity of likeness in mental and in physical chai-acters in the case of 
brethren. The general conclusion is that the mental, moral and physical characters are inherited 
in sensibly the same manner. Whatever influence environment may have it does not serve to 
intensify the moral and mental resemblance of brethren beyond the physical resemblance. Nor 
do brethren in the case of physical characters less subject to environmental influence show less 
resemblance than in the case of physical characters which can be influenced by food and training. 
The bearing of this result on the problem of national degeneracy is emphasised. 
(3) W. R. Macdonell publishes the first memoir dealing with any considerable number of 
English skulls. The material, covering between 300 and 400 crania, with a high degree of proba- 
bility formed the contents of a London City plague pit of 1665. The measurements, 42 in number, 
are given and their biometric constants compared with those of allied Euroj^ean and unallied 
races. Normal and abnormal crania are illustrated by fifty plates ; it is hoped that the photo- 
graphs of special crania will serve as the beginning of a series to which reference may be made in 
describing abnormalities in future meuK^irs. The general results indicate that this series differs 
very widely from the German and French series, and from the English head as described by 
various modern writers. That the series, however, is typical at least of the 17th century 
Londoner is proved by comparison with a second series of London skulls. It is shown by 
some appended statistics that the most comparable data are those of the Long Barrow race 
[p. T. O. 
