Experimental appraisal of certain procedures for the classification of data.

An experimental appraisal of two of the commoner techniques for empirical classification, namely Sneath Q-study and Williams and Lambert normal analysis, is presented. It is shown that the methods have unresolved problems associated with them and that results obtained by their use are not necessarily liable to effective interpretation. A number of objections are raised and it is suggested that biologists using the methods should reconcile their conclusions with these objections.