Page:Mind (Old Series) Volume 12.djvu/95

 82 F. GALTON I NOTES ON " PKEHENSION IN IDIOTS. taught some simple arithmetic. In the lower classes it seemed that the children were better able to seize what was wanted when tested with the names of letters than with those of numerals, so in the later experiments letters were employed ; otherwise the mode of testing was exactly the same as that used at Earlswood. The names of the numerals (or letters) were distinctly uttered at estimated intervals of half a second, and after I had quite done the child began to repeat them. Below, the figures on lines are intermediate estimates ; thus in the case of one idiot who was not successful with 3 figures, we had reason to think the mistake possibly due to other causes than incapacity, so the entry was made on the line dividing 2 from 3. Span of Prehension. 2 3 4 5 6|7 8 | 9 | 10 1 2 1

1] 1! 11 1 4 2. 5i ! 2 1 Class 1. The four sharpest children ; ages 9, 12, 13 and 15. The quickest of these, who repeated 9 figures, was only " morally imbecile ". Class II. Ages, 9-16 Claas III. Three of those whose span was only 2 had been removed from school for nearly 12 months. Their ages are 18, 18, and 19. The others range from 11 to 15. Class IV. Ages 11-15 It was very noticeable that the last uttered word was the best repeated, and after this the first. Also that there was much tendency to the transposition of adjacent words. The children were usually slow of utterance and apparently of thought. They tired very quickly ; sometimes after only three or four attempts. In other cases there was an improvement within brief limits, due apparently to their better understanding what was required. They did not show signs of inattention (by looking away, &c.), but upon this Dr. Fletcher Beach remarks that the faculty of attention is one of the first to be trained. If the chil- dren should be made familiar with these experiments, and be tested when quite fresh, at and a little beyond the limits of their previ- ously ascertained span, it is probable that better results could be obtained. They seemed to take pleasure in the tests and to show emulation. I submitted a rough draft of the foregoing to Mr. Sully, and afterwards to Dr. Fletcher Beach, whose remarks are now incorporated in it.