112 ENGLISH MEN OF SCIENCE. [CHAP. 



3. " My memory of things learnt early in life 

 (as dates, rules, examples of grammar, &c.) very 

 retentive, but of all isolated facts of subsequent 

 occurrence, as the birthdays of my children, 

 and the dates of events of my own life, I am 

 singularly destitute of retentive power. On the 

 other hand, of whatever is linked by rational 

 association with any subject in which I take an 

 interest, my memory is very good. 



" Father The power of his memory was 

 shown by the great range of his acquirements ; 

 he had greater power of remembering isolated 

 facts than I have." 



4. "I should say far above the average. I 

 can now refer to note-books of 30 years past 

 and select a special observation. In other words, 

 it is a capital working memory. I never tried 

 to learn pages of poetry, &c.; in this I should 

 probably have failed." 



5. " Memory exceedingly strong and retentive,, 

 especially of dates, figures and events. 



" Father and Mother both had good memo- 



ries." 



