176 



SCIENCE 



[X. S. Vol. XXXI. No. 788 



Rivers has made an observation in connec- 

 tion with the test for eyesight, which I am 

 able to confirm, and which is perhaps of 

 much importance. He found that when 

 the letter or character used in his test, the 

 position of which had to be recognized at 

 the greatest possible distance, was removed 

 from him beyond the distance at which he 

 felt that he could judge it, he could still 

 guess it right nearly every time, though 

 without confidence. By such guessing, 

 one's record in this test can be bettered 

 considerably; and careful study enables 

 one to see the slight and blurred indications 

 of position which form the basis of the 

 guessing. Now it may well be that the 

 occupations of civilized life breed a habit 

 of dependence on clear vision, whereas the 

 life of those who must frequently recognize 

 objects at a great distance breeds reliance 

 on slight indications, and so creates a fa- 

 vorable attitude for the test of eyesight. 

 When this possibility is taken in connection 

 with the deterioration of many European 

 eyes from abuse, and in connection with 

 the observed overlapping of all groups 

 tested, the conclusion is not improbable 

 that, after all, the races are essentially 

 equal in keenness of vision. Even if small 

 differences do exist, it is fairly certain that 

 the wonderful feats of distant vision as- 

 cribed to savages are due to practise in 

 interpreting slight indications of familiar 

 objects. Both Rivers and Ranke, on test- 

 ing some of the very individuals whose 

 feats of keen sight seemed almost miracu- 

 lous, found that, as tested, they had excel- 

 lent but not extraordinary vision. A little 

 acquaintance with sailors on shipboard is 

 enough to dispel the illusion that such feats 

 are beyond the powers of the white man. 

 The hearing of savages enjoys a reputa- 

 tion, among travelers, similar to that of 

 their sight; but there can be little doubt 

 that the cause is the same. In fact, the 



tests which have so far been made tend to 

 show that the hearing of whites is superior. 

 Such was the result of Myers on the Papu- 

 ans, and of Bruner in his extensive series 

 of measurements made at the St. Louis 

 Fair. Only 15 per cent, of 137 Filipinos 

 tested did as well as the average of whites ; 

 other groups made a somewhat better show- 

 ing, but all seemed inferior on the average 

 to whites. In spite of the experimental 

 results, there is perhaps reason to doubt 

 that the hearing of whites is essentially and 

 natively much superior to that of other 

 races. Civilized life protects the ear from 

 some forms of injury to which it is exposed 

 in more primitive conditions; and, then, 

 the question of cleanliness must be consid- 

 ered in regard to the meatus. Besides, the 

 ear is known to be highly susceptible of 

 training in the perception of particular 

 sorts of sound — as overtones and difference 

 tones — and it is likely enough that the 

 watch ticks and similar clicks used, in the 

 tests are not equally within the repertory 

 of all peoples. 



Much the same can be said regarding 

 keenness of smell. On account of the high 

 olfactory powers of dogs and some other 

 lower animals, it has often seemed natural 

 and proper that this sense should be highly 

 developed among savages; and feats of 

 primitive folk have been reported quite 

 analogous to those already referred to 

 under sight and hearing. No dotibt here 

 again, special interests and training are 

 responsible, since what few tests have been 

 made tend to show no higher acuity of 

 smell among negroes and Papuans than 

 among Europeans. 



The sense of touch has been little exam- 

 ined. McDougall found among the Papu- 

 ans a number with extremely fine powers 

 of discrimination by the skin. The differ- 

 ence between two points and one could be 

 told by these individuals even when the 



