874 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXIX. No. 1015 



detailed observations on sucli subjects as 

 hygroscopicity, the regime of the shrinking' 

 and swelling seeds, the dehiscence of fruits, 

 the proportion of parts in fruits, the abortion 

 of ovules, seed coloration, the weight of the 

 embryo, the rest-period of seeds and a philo- 

 sophic chapter (XX.) on the cosmic adapta- 

 tion of the seed in which the author states his 

 belief that the seed is less specialized and less 

 conditioned than the plant; that its potential- 

 ities present us with a range of life-conditions 

 that extends beyond the earth and oilers a 

 clue to the conditions of existence in other 

 worlds. Finally Guppy postulates a flora of 

 the cosmos. 



Although the author allows himself in the 

 last chapter to be spirited away from things 

 mundane, yet, the whole work is pervaded 

 with the spirit of thorough scientific research 

 in which no fact is overlooked which might 

 bear on the main problem of seed investiga- 

 tion, and each fact is submitted to rigid exam- 

 ination, by the balance and other instruments 

 of precision. The book has been overlooked 

 apparently by other American botanic re- 

 viewers and it deserves a place on the shelves 

 of any library that attempts to be stocked with 

 recent important contributions to botanic 

 science. 



John W. Harshberger 



University of Pennsylvania 



SPECIAL ARTICLES 



A NEW MARKING SYSTEM AND MEANS OF MEAS- 

 URING MATHEMATICAL ABILITIES'- 



Perhaps the most noted methods of meas- 

 uring the intelligence of young children are 

 the De Sanctis and the Binet-Simon tests. 

 These tests apply mainly to the measurement 

 of lower levels of intelligence. It is very sig- 

 nificant that the noted Italian and French 

 psychologists who originated these tests did 

 not extend the general method to be used with 

 pupils of the secondary and higher schools. 

 In the present state of educational psychology 



1 Read before the mathematics section of the Cen- 

 tral Association of Science and Mathematics 

 Teachers, November 29, 1913, at Des Moines, Iowa. 



it does not seem practicable or possible to ef- 

 fect successfully such an extension; that is to 

 say, it is improbable that such tests can ba 

 devised which can be applied to everyday use 

 in our schools, and will be a real improvement 

 upon our present system of examinations, in 

 settling questions of promotion and in award- 

 ing honors in our high schools and colleges. 

 We are able to determine certain questions of 

 athletic proficiency by measuring the high 

 jump or broad jump, by timing the quarter- 

 mile or half-mile run. The fact that the candi- 

 date knows beforehand the nature of the test 

 does not materially interfere with its eflS- 

 ciency. But if a candidate for promotion 

 knows beforehand the exact nature of the test 

 in algebra — as he easily may know, if tests 

 are adopted to be used by all teachers at all 

 times — then he can easily learn the few tests 

 and make a high grade, even though his 

 knowledge of the entire subject may be woe- 

 fully deficient. It is quite evident that it is 

 impossible to formulate specific questions in 

 any branch of high-school mathematics, 

 which could be used everywhere and at all 

 times. Yet the report of the American Com- 

 mittee No. VII. on Examinations in Mathe- 

 matics contains the following :- 



There seems to be a pronounced desire through- 

 out the country for standardized tests in mathe- 

 matics, that is, tests which will enable teachers to 

 measure fairly accurately the efficiency of their 

 instruction and to know whether their pupils are 

 as proficient as those in other localities. 



One way to meet this demand is to prepare 

 a syllabus of essentials in high-school arith- 

 metic, algebra and geometry, to be used in 

 preparing the specific questions for an ex- 

 amination. Such a syllabus has its merits and 

 also its demerits. Its merits are that both 

 teachers and pupils have the territory to be 

 covered by the examination more definitely 

 limited to what are the essentials. Its demer- 

 its are that it leads both teachers and pupils 

 to a disregard of the many minor facts of a 

 science, which deserve at least passing notice. 



2U. S. Bureau of Educ, Bulletin, 1911, No. 8, 

 p. 13. 



