Mat 29, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



847 



Of course, the direct application of these 

 fibres in any accurate calculation of the 

 conditions of life among different races or 

 at different periods of time is impossible, 

 but they indicate in no uncertain manner 

 the great differences acoustically in the 

 environment of Asiatic races, of aboriginal 

 races in central and southern Africa, of 

 the Mediterranean countries, of northern 

 Europe at different periods of time. "We 

 have explained for us by these figures why 

 the musical scale has but slowly developed 

 in the greater part of Asia and of Africa. 

 Almost no traveler has reported a musical 

 scale, even of the most primitive sort, 

 among any of the previously unvisited 

 tribes of Africa. This fact could not be 

 ascribed to racial inaptitude. If melody 

 was, as Helmholtz suggested, but rhythm 

 in time and in pitch, the musical scale 

 should have been developed in Africa if 

 anywhere. These races were given to the 

 most rhythmical dancing and the rhyth- 

 mical beating of drums and tom-toms. 

 Rhythm in time they certainly had. More- 

 over, failure to develop a musical scale 

 could not be ascribed to racial inaptitude 

 to feeling for pitch. Transported to 

 America and brought in contact with the 

 musical scale, the negro became immedi- 

 ately the most musical part of our popula- 

 tion. The absence of a highly developed 

 scale in Africa must then be ascribed to 

 environment. 



Turning to Europe, we find the musical 

 scale most rapidly developing among the 

 stone-dwelling people along the shores of 

 the Mediterranean. The development of 

 the scale and its increased use kept pace 

 with the increased size of the dwellings 

 and temples. It showed above all in their 

 religious worship as their temples and 

 churches reached cathedral size. The re- 

 verberation which accompanied the lofty 

 and magnificent architecture increased 

 until even the spoken service became in- 



toned in the Gregorian chant. It is not 

 going beyond the bounds of reason to say 

 that in those churches in Europe which are 

 housed in magnificent cathedrals the 

 Catholic, the Lutheran and Protestant 

 Episcopal, the form of worship is in part 

 determined by their acoustical conditions. 



This presents a tempting opportunity to 

 enlarge on the fact that the alleged earliest 

 evidence of a musical scale, a supposed 

 flute, belonged to the cave-dwellers of Eu- 

 rope. This and the impulse to sing in an 

 empty room, and the ease with which even 

 the unmusical can keep the key in simple 

 aii's under such conditions, are significant 

 facts, but gain nothing by amplification. 

 The same may be said of the fact that since 

 music has been written for moi-e crowded 

 auditoriums and with harmonic accompani- 

 ment the air has become of less harmonious 

 sequence. These and many other instances 

 of the effect of reverberation come to mind. 



In conclusion, it may be not out of place 

 to repeat the thesis that we would not mere- 

 ly with Helmholtz regard melody as rhythm 

 in time and rhythm in pitch, but also as 

 harmony in sustained tones, and see in the 

 history of music, certainly in its early be- 

 ginnings, but possibly also in its subsequent 

 development, not only genius and inven- 

 tion, but also the effect of physical environ- 

 ment. 



■W. C. Sabine 



Haevaed Univeesitt 



THE RELATION OF INSTINCT TO INTEL- 

 LIGENCE IN BIRDS 



In the following observations an attempt 

 is made to analyze the behavior of the wild 

 bird in order to ascertain first, how their 

 instincts are modified by their ability to 

 learn, and secondly the degree of intelli- 

 gence which they ordinarily attain. It 

 may be taken as an axiom that if the bird 

 be intelligent, it must use its intelligence 

 in meeting the emergencies of daily life 



