Decembee 19, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



893 



probable that the loss of more than one battle 

 has been due to the utter confusion of officers 

 or of small bodies of troops with respect to 

 points of compass, due to the concentration of 

 attention on the enemy in the height of action 

 or during maneuvers at night. 



Fig. 4. Type A. Imaginary Map. The amount 

 of deviation is tlie same amount under all condi- 

 tions, and in all places. 



Fig. 6. Type C. Imaginary Map. The map de- 

 pends on which way the subject is facing. 



If it is desirable to correct this very common 

 defect in orientation training, it would appear 

 necessary that children should be seated at 

 school in a special manner when studying 



geography, with the cardinal points of the 

 compass marked in the room, and the maps in 

 the books properly orientated, and the imagin- 

 ary maps systematically corrected in childhood. 

 The proportion of people who have so-called 

 " imaginary maps " is astonishingly large, 



Fig. 5. Type B. Imaginary Map. The amount 

 of deviation may vary with the place in which the 

 subject happens to be. 



Fig. 7. Type D. Imaginary Map. All distant 

 places appear to be west (or east) of north. 



being of the order of thirty to fifty per cent., 

 if not a much higher ratio; hence the matter 

 is one of general interest. 



The object of the presentation of these facts 



