ft. 9 in.; for Belgians about 5 ft. 7 in.; for the French about 5 ft. 4 in. It need hardly be added that these measures are those of adult males.
§ 15. It may fairly be asked here what would have been the consequence, had we, instead of keeping the English and the French apart, mixed the results of our measurements of them all together? The question is an important one, as it will oblige us to understand more clearly what we mean by homogeneous classes. The answer that would usually be given to it, though substantially correct, is somewhat too decisive and summary. It would be said that we are here mixing distinctly heterogeneous elements, and that in consequence the resultant law of error will be by no means of the simple character previously exhibited. So far as such an answer is to be admitted its grounds are easy to appreciate. In accordance with the usual law of error the divergences from the mean grow continuously less numerous as they increase in amount. Now, if we mix up the French and English heights, what will follow? Beginning from the English mean of 5 feet 9 inches, the heights will at first follow almost entirely the law determined by these English conditions, for at this point the English data are very numerous, and the French by comparison very few. But, as we begin to approach the French mean, the numbers will cease to show that continual diminution which they should show, (illegible text) to the English scale of arrangement, for here the French data are in turn very numerous, and the English by comparison few. The result of such a combination of hetero-
of the mean height, nor does he always give precisely the same measure. Practically, none but soldiers being measured in any great numbers, the English stature did not afford accurate data on any large scale. The statistics given a few pages further on are probably far more trustworthy.
