June, 1912.] 
Meetings of Biological Club. 
549 
MEETINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL CLUB. 
Orton Hall, February 12, 1912. 
The Biological Club met at 7 :30 p. m. with the president, 
W. M. Barrows, presiding. The program of the evening consisted 
of an interesting and instructive lecture, “Among the White 
Mountains” by j. C. Hambleton. 
For several years Mr. Hambleton has had charge of a boys’ 
camp located in southwestern New Hampshire near the Connect- 
icut River. During the course of his lecture a goodly number of 
fine lantern slides were shown. The lecture was particularly 
valuable in showing the many interesting physiographic, geological, 
floral and aesthetic features of the region around the camp; and 
particularly those incident to a trip in the White Mountains and 
the climbing of Mt. Washington. 
Professors Schaffner and Osborn gave brief reports of a few of 
the more interesting papers presented at the Washington meeting 
of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. 
Dr. R. J. Seymour and Mr. Charles F. Stiles were elected to 
membership. 
Orton Hall, March 4, 1912. 
The Club was called to order at 7 :45 p. m. by the president. 
The first subject of the evening was by Prof. C. J. West on “The 
Law of Probability.” Prof. West spoke of the necessity of 
mathematical knowledge on the part of the biologist who is doing 
statistical work. While this work does not require very difficult 
mathematics it does require great care to avoid errors. 
The development of statistical work was shown from its 
beginning in solving the problems of the gambler to its present 
status. Since a finite number of measurements is never absolutely 
correct this science is now used in all the more delicate experi- 
mental sciences as a corrector of our erroneous senses. By this 
means also a set of constants may be made to stand for a great 
series of unintelligible data. Prof. West explained the develop- 
ment of a number of the formulae as those for the law of mortality, 
the law of probability and the probable error. 
J. L. King read an interesting paper on “The Life of Galton. ” 
Galton was one of the earliest scientists to use the statistical 
methods. 
R. D. Whitmarsh was elected to membership. 
