128 OTHER FACTORS OF EVOLUTION 



Then, again, when gout is acquired by the individual, a predispo- 

 sition thereto may undoubtedly be transmitted to offspring. The 

 same holds true of epilepsy ; and when great musical talent or 

 great powers of calculation show themselves, such powers are also 

 apt to be transmitted to some of the progeny. In these latter cases 

 especially it seems much more reasonable to suppose that the 

 unusual powers have taken origin in the soma rather than in the 

 germ-plasm — that is to say, that the individuals in whom such 

 unusual powers first show themselves owe them to developmental 

 changes that have taken place in particular parts of the brain in the 

 ordinary course of things. The development of different regions of 

 the brain is subject to constant variations in all individuals. One 

 person has highly developed auditory centres and cerebral regions 

 in association therewith, another has a poor development of the 

 same parts ; and the same thing holds good for the visual centres 

 and their associated cerebral mechanisms. Some of those having 

 highly-developed auditory centres may prove to have unusual 

 musical abilities ; while others, like Inaudi, may have marvellous 

 powers in dealing with figures. His extraordinary capacity in this 

 direction showed itself first when he was only six years old, and 

 has continued ever since. He said to one who interviewed him a 

 few years since, " Reading or writing figures is of little aid to 

 me. I must hear them. I have no more than an average memory 

 for colours, forms, events, places or musical airs. Although I can- 

 not remember for any length of time a couple of lines of poetry, 

 I can easily remember without any effort a long series of figures, 

 varying from 25 to 30 fines, after I have only heard them once." 

 Other calculators are known to depend upon visual rather than 

 upon auditory symbols ; while one of them, George Bidder, F.R.S., 

 who as a youth was known as the " Calculating Boy," has certainly 

 transmitted his powers to some of his descendants, though to 

 a minor extent. 



Some striking facts, illustrating the development of certain 

 cerebral powers by use and practice carried on through generation 

 after generation, have recently been cited by W. Woods Smythe ' 

 who says : " Lately I heard a missionary at a May meeting tell of the 

 marvellous facility with which Chinese children memorise whole 

 books of the Bible ; the four Gospels, and sometimes the Acts also, 

 being an easy feat for children of ten or twelve years. Having care- 



' " Nature," June 15, 1905, p. 152. 



