aed by age Ng gee eg ATR eRe yes Deen ig E a E ia Wh gg NT asia Le al ee eh es teat es ce eye OE ine ee 
ON Tac Sse eT ee ee Ee Ce ge Sea oe ep re eae 
ae ee Aa Pier fe 
a PP i 
1886.] Notes on the Life-history of the Common Newt. 17 
ether, while the organized psychic cerebrum becomes a free 
organism, Whether with it is freed a closely related psychic 
organism, the outcome of the whole body development, and 
reproducing every detail of the body, is a question of secondary 
concern. It is sufficient for our present purpose to show the con- 
ceivable separate existence of a psychic cerebrum, possessing the 
definite organization of the material cerebrum, and in addition all 
the thought conditions of the developed mind. 
If the human body, as the highest outcome of its organization 
of energy in matter, is capable of producing such a self-centered 
and self-existent psychic organism, a like power, though in a 
lower degree, must exist in lower organic beings, and possibly in 
inorganic compounds. Every concrete mass which received 
external energies, without being molded by them, might have its 
bound ether molded by these energies and thus converted into 
psychic substance, capable of self existence when definitely sep- 
arated from its nucleus. All matter may thus act as a laboratory 
for the elimination of psychic substance from bound ether. The 
freed mental organism might find an accordant sphere of exist- 
ence thus prepared for it, and as thoroughly adapted to its pow- 
ers and needs as the material earth is to ours. Nor could we 
become sensible of the existence of substance in this condition, 
its complete transparency to radiations of light and heat render- 
ing it imperceptible to our senses and our instruments. Such 
may be offered as a speculative conception of the possibility of 
the existence of the mind after the dissolution of the body, ina 
sphere of substance suitable to its needs and powers. It is a con- 
ception towards which many partial steps have been made, but 
this may be offered as the first definite hypothesis of the devel- 
opment and conditions of the mind, based upon the conclusions. 
of modern science. 
SOME NOTES ON THE LIFE-HISTORY OF THE 
COMMON NEWT. 
BY COL. NICOLAS PIKE. 
To little reptile, our common newt or spotted eft, Diemycty- 
lus miniatus viridescens (Raf.) Cope, is numerous on Long 
Island from Brooklyn to Greenport, and is equally well known 
all over the Eastern States. It may be caught. from March to 
December, as it bears a very low temperature, and I once saw it 
v 2 : 
