Se 
_ wall, laying a carpenter’s square across the head and marking, 
746 General Notes. | [August, 
mals, are hereditary virtues as well as vices. Children with suicidal 
tendencies entirely prenatal, others with thievish propensities given 
and upright parents with noble souls and lofty aims. If we had 
a record of ourselves, thereby affording us a knowledge of our 
hereditary tendencies, could we not more intelligently meet, or 
perhaps anticipate, the needs of our children, more readily coun- 
teract evil propensities and recognize the good ? 
We do not realize the value of this work, nor yet the great ad- 
vantages we have to collect data. 
Scientists have worked hard, under most trying circumstances, 
to create an interest in this kind of work as well as to collect data 
for statistics. Francis Galton, known the world over as a leading 
anthropologist, prepared a set of cards and hired men to go about 
England paying people a small sum for each child they would 
allow them to weigh, measure, take age, color of hair, eyes, etc., that 
he might get statistics for race characteristics. Fröbel (that mind 
which saw the needs of childhood and has been such a blessed 
help to mothers and children) advised mothers to keep a record 
of the growth of their children. i 
This record is not a difficult task, and can be best kept in the 
quiet of home life. It consists of gathering and recording the 
little daily incidents, surroundings, tendencies, games, pleasures, 
sorrows and sicknesses of ourselves and children ; also the height, 
weight, color of hair and eyes, strength of sight, hearing, also oF 
semblances. The food on which the child is fed, frequency 
meals, at what age did child exhibit consciousness, as notice it 
prick of a pin, follow a light with its eyes; at what age did ! 
walk, talk, and what words did it use. Then, as the child gro of 
older, to name the character of its play, amount of exercise, 
memory, imagination. : “act the 
The height should be taken with bare feet, standing against ™ 
then measuring with an ordinary tape measure. In the case 0 
a an infant, lay it on the back, stand a square against head and feet, 
_and measure distance between. ' 
_The sight is tested by reading type of different sizes at ih 
distances; hearing by the distance in feet the ticking of a e 
a Li heard ; knowledge of colors by.a few skeins of worste n 
= Pa countries appreciate the value of these researches mo 
ce more 
I would 
merican scien- 
