December 24, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



609 



forepaws whilst peering at the intruder. In 

 E. T. Seton's " Life-histories of N'orthern 

 Animals," the story is repeated from Coues, 

 but in the index the entry is credited to J. G. 

 Lockhart. In the Encyclopsedia Americana, 

 the only J. G. Lockhart is the biographer of 

 Sir Walter Scott. 



Is it possible to get a line on this " Mr. 

 Lockhart " who saw the wolverene on two 

 occasions shading its eyes with a paw? 



clue, till I oome to what I can mediate on with 

 profit and attention and then to follow that. 

 Columbia Universitt ^dwin E. Slosson 



A. WiLLEY 



Department op Zoology, 

 McGiLL Univeksitt 



JONATHAN EDWARDS AS A FREUDIAN 



■ Since Jonathan Edwards has been brought 

 forward as a precursor of Einstein, I wish to 

 file a claim in his behalf as a pre-Freud 

 Freudian. In that very remarkable record of 

 autoanalysis, his Diary, he notes under date of 

 May 2, 1722 : 



I think it a very good way to examine dreams 

 every morning when I awake ; what are the nature, 

 circumstances, principles and ends of my imagi- 

 nary actions and passions in them; in order to 

 discern what are my prevailing inclinations, etc. 



■ Not only did Edwards use dream analysis 

 for the discovery of his secret sins, but he also 

 employed the Freudian therapeutics of frank 

 self-examination starting with random reverie 

 and following the thread of association until 

 he reached the complex that he desired to 

 eradicate by confession and sublimation. For 

 instance, the entry dated " Saturday August 

 10, about sunset," reads: 



As a help against that inward shameful hypoc- 

 risy, to confess frankly to myself all which I find 

 in myself, either infirmity or sin; also to confess 

 to God and open the whole case to him, when it is 

 what concerns religion, and humbly and earnestly 

 implore of him the help that is needed; not in the 

 least to endeavor to smother over what is in my 

 heart but to bring it all out to God and my con- 

 science. By this means I may arrive at a greater 

 knowledge of my own heart. 



When I find difSoulty in finding a subject of 

 religious meditation in vacancies, to pitch at 

 random on what alights in my thoughts, and to go 

 from that to other things which that should bring 

 into my mind, and follow this progression as a 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS 



Plant Indicators. The Relation of Plant 

 Communities to Process and Practise. By 

 Frederc E. Clements. 388 pages, 92 plates. 

 Publication 290 of the Carnegie Institution 

 of Washington, Washington, D. C. 

 This is a companion volume to Dr. Clem- 

 ents's book on Plant Succession.'^ The aim 

 of the present work is to show the value of 

 the natural vegetation as indicating climatic 

 and soil conditions, and hence, indirectly, the 

 suitability of the areas covered for agricul- 

 ture, grazing and forestry. 



The earlier literature is briefly reviewed, 

 with especial emphasis upon publications 

 which have appeared since the plant indicator 

 concept became definitely established (Hil- 

 gard, 1860, Chamberlin, 1877), and especially 

 since quantitative methods began to be em- 

 ployed in the study of vegetation. The in- 

 dicator concept is discussed on pages 28-34, 

 stress being laid upon the superiority of the 

 plant community to any single species. The 

 authors point of view is illustrated by the 

 following quotations : 



As is shown later, plants may indicate condi- 

 tions, processes, or uses. The simplest of these is 

 the first, the most practical is the last. The 

 plant may indicate a particular soil or climate, or 

 some limiting or controlling factor in either. 

 This would seem to be axiomatic, but it is well 

 known that grassland, which is typically a cli- 

 matic indicator, often occupies extensive areas in 

 forest climates. Thus, the presence of a plant, 

 even when dominant, is only suggestive of its 

 meaning. It is necessary to correlate it with the 

 existing factors and, better still, to check this 

 correlation by experimental planting, or an actual 

 tracing of the successional development. 



Indicators of processes usually require a double 

 correlation, namely, that of the plant with the 

 controlling factor, and that of the factor with the 

 causal process, such as erosion, disturbance, fire, 



1 Clements, F. E., "Plant Succession," Publi- 

 cation 242, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 

 1916. 



