the first in the majority of these respects, we might base on this consideration an inference in regard to any one of these characters. But such an inference would neither be of the nature of induction, nor would it (except in special cases) be valid, because the vast majority of points of agreement in the first sample drawn would generally be entirely accidental, as well as insignificant. To illustrate this, I take the ages at death of the first five poets given in Wheeler's Biographical Dictionary. They are:
Aagard, 48.
Abeille, 70.
Abulola, 84.
Abunowas, 48.
Accords, 45.
These five ages have the following characters in common:
1. The difference of the two digits composing the number, divided by three, leaves a remainder of one.
2. The first digit raised to the power indicated by the second, and divided by three, leaves a remainder of one.
3. The sum of the prime factors of each age, including one, is divisible by three.
It is easy to see that the number of accidental agreements of this sort would be quite endless. But suppose that, instead of considering a character because of its prevalence in the sample, we designate a character before taking the sample, selecting it for its importance, obviousness, or other point of interest. Then two considerable samples drawn at random are extremely likely to agree
