The Mendel Journal

Abstract

IN NATURE for December 30, 1909 (p. 252), there appeared a review of the first number of the Mendel Journal, by “E. H. J. S.” He also, in the same review, reviewed the current issue of Biometrika. I pass no comment upon the questionable fairness of having two such diametrically opposed journals reviewed by the same person, who, if we may judge by certain statements in the review, is himself a biometrician, or very friendly disposed towards them. I am alone concerned in dealing with your reviewer's misinterpretation and imperfect reading of certain articles of mine written under the nom de plume of “Ardent Mendelian.” He accuses me of “adopting a tone calculated to be offensive to biometricians,” and as an instance he cites the following sentence:— “We may further infer, therefore, that the discipline of the army¹ is very severe, and perhaps this may throw some light upon the constant reappearance of the figure 0.5 in relation to the size of some of its artillery equipment.” ² Your reviewer interprets this as a “serious charge of faking” directed against biometricians. I do not know upon what plan he writes his reviews or whether he reads sufficient of the article he reviews to grasp properly its tone and meaning. Nothing was farther from, my intention than to impute, want of integrity to any biometrician, notwithstanding some bad examples which they themselves have set, when they deal with Mendelians. Had your reviewer but read a few lines lower down (p. 160) he would have found the following chivalrous sentence, describing them:—