1 890 PHYSIOLOGICAL SELECTION 167 



draw it at the last moment so as to leave all the 

 eTening for mine. I spoke for an hour and a half, and 

 the discussion lasted another hom-. The paper itself 

 I have brought with me here, and am now putting the 

 last touches upon it. 



Probably I shall have to try the rat experiment 

 again, if the young ones show no signs of piebalding. 

 But look at them occasionally to see. 



There would be no use in getting the parrot to 

 make a gesture sign at the same time as he makes a 

 verbal one ; for, as you say, he would only show that 

 he can estabhsh an association between a phrase and 

 a thing (whether object, quaHty, or action), and about 

 this there is no question. The question is whether 

 he can use verbal signs, not only as stereotyped in 

 phrases (when they are really equivalent to only one 

 word), but as movable types, which he can transpose 

 for the purpose of expressing different ideas with the 

 same words. 



He writes concerning a Junior Scientific Society 

 which had a meeting to discuss his theory : 



' The meeting was the best fun imaginable, the 

 paper was merely ^ statement of my theory by a 



young man who made it very clear. got up and 



expressed disapproval of the theory, but expressly 

 declined to argue, so I had merely to give him some 

 chaff. The young men highly enjoyed it. Afterwards 

 they were enthusiastic in their applause. 



' I have no doubt, if I had not been present, the class 

 would have had a very different impression both of me 

 and my theory.' 



