March 30, 1917] 



SCIENCE 



313 



efficient have proposed a relative measure of 

 intelligence. 



The present volume embodies the results of 

 long and patient labor in overcoming and cor- 

 recting the imperfections in the original 

 Binet-Simon scale. Standardized tests are 

 provided through average adult and superior 

 adult levels, making the scale valid for the 

 detection of " borderline cases." Standard- 

 ized directions (admirably simple and nat- 

 ural) are given for every test. The method 

 of scoring has been refined, so that the indi- 

 vidual's mental status is determined by 

 months, and the Intelligence Quotient becomes 

 the measure of ability. This is obtained by 

 dividing the " mental age " by the actual age. 

 One would predict that this Intelligence Quo- 

 tient (I. Q.) will be made the subject of much 

 discussion and investigation during the next 

 few years. 



Six tests are provided for each year up 

 through ten years, instead of four or five, as 

 in the Goddard Revision, which has been most 

 widely used in this country. The Stanford 

 Revision, as the author modestly chooses to 

 designate his work, is by no means a mere re- 

 arrangement of the old, familiar tests. The 

 new scale is rich in original contributions, 

 such as the vocabulary test, and the ball-in- 

 the-field test. For these many cleverly con- 

 ceived tests Terman gives much credit to his 

 collaborators. 



The time devoted to an examination accord- 

 ing to the Stanford Revision is considerably 

 greater than in the case of the former revi- 

 sions. This will be a good thing from the 

 point of view of everybody except adminis- 

 trative officers. The number of psychological 

 examinations now expected daily of psychol- 

 ogists working in various public capacities, is 

 little short of a scientific scandal. 



The wide usefulness into which this volume 

 has already come testifies to its timeliness as a 

 treatise on the subject. The book is so written 

 and so organized that it serves almost equally 

 well as a text, as a manual, or as a reference. 

 The first half is taken up with a discussion of 

 the technique and method of measuring intel- 

 ligence, and with the history of graded tests. 

 The subject is clearly and simply presented 



in non-technical terms. The second half is 

 given over to a presentation of the revised 

 tests themselves, with the directions for giving 

 and the method of scoring, each. The neces- 

 sary test material may be purchased from the 

 publishers of the book. 



It would seem inevitable that the Stanford 

 Scale will, in general, replace all revisions of 

 the Binet-Simon Measuring Scale for Intelli- 

 gence hitherto in use in clinics and in institu- 

 tions, because it is more scientific and more 

 complete than any other which has been made 

 available. The method of scoring by years and 

 months of " mental age," however, may and 

 probably will prevent its adoption by those 

 psychologists who believe that the method of 

 scoring by " points " is preferable. 



Leta S. Hollingworth 

 Teachers College, 

 Columbia Universitt 



Telegraphy. By T. E. Herbert. London and 

 ISTew York, Whittaker and Co. Third Edi- 

 tion. 985 pages, 630 illustrations. Cloth, 

 nine shillings net. 



This is the third and a thoroughly revised 

 edition of an excellent handbook on British 

 telegraphy, designed to meet the needs of the 

 technical student and the requirements of de- 

 partmental technical examinations of the staff. 

 The mathematics employed are quite ele- 

 mentary, so that no difficulties need be appre- 

 hended by the technical student in this direc- 

 tion. The telegraphic apparatus and plant 

 of the British post-office system are well de- 

 scribed and explained. A strong feature of 

 recommendation for the book is that it enters 

 at some length into the technique of the ap- 

 paratus described, and gives practical direc- 

 tions as to best adjustments. 



The text is divided into twenty-three chap- 

 ters, respectively dealing with the following 

 topics: Introduction, Primary Cells, Circuit 

 Calculations, Current Measurements, Battery 

 Testing, Resistance Measurements, Single- 

 current Systems, Condensers, Differential 

 Duplex, Quadruplex, Wheatstone Automatic, 

 Bridge Duplex, ABC and Recording Instru- 

 ments, The Hughes, The Bandot, The Murray, 



