354 
Is Organic Variation Fortuitous ? [May 
Mr. Murphy remarks that “ neither association nor the 
principle of imitation will account for the child’s use of the 
word I,” and quotes Ferrier’s opinion that the use of this 
pronoun proves not only intelligence, but self-consciousness, 
which appears to belong to man alone. We have certainly 
met with no instance of a parrot or other talking bird 
speaking of itself as “ I.” But it is interesting to note that 
young children, before learning to use the personal pronoun, 
speak of themselves by the same name which is applied to 
them by others. Just as the parrot which is addressed as 
Polly conne(5ts that word with itself, and if desirous of any- 
thing says, e.g., “Give Polly a bit,” so the young child 
addressed as “ Baby ” speaks of itself as “ Baby.” This is 
additional evidence that a child at a certain early age is 
mentally on a level with the mature parrot, and shows that 
the difference between man and beast is one of degree rather 
than of kind. 
Incidentally we note that the author considers it possible, 
“ though to our faculties not conceivable, that the number 
of dimensions in Space may be infinite, though we exist and 
move in only three.” The discussion of this interesting 
speculation, which seems gradually dawning on the human 
mind, must be left to mathematicians. 
On p. 571 of Mr. Murphy’s work we find an assertion with 
which we are unable, without certain reservations, to agree. 
We read that “ the more highly organised among organisms 
grow to the largest size and live the longest.” We fully 
admit that the Vertebrata are as a class more highly organ- 
ised, longer-lived, and larger than the Evertebrates ; but the 
birds, and probably reptiles and fishes, though less highly 
organised than the mammals, appear to live longer ; and 
even within the mammalian circle, man and the anthropoid 
apes, though unquestionably the most highly organised, take 
but an intermediate rank in stature. 
Dr. Beale’s argument — not against Darwinism, but against 
Evolution in general — that the microscopic and chemical 
characters of species are less variable than their external 
features, requires an amount of attention which it has not 
yet received.* Mr. Murphy very properly declines to pass 
any definitive judgment on the question. 
It will not be irrelevent for us to pron ounce our conviction 
that “ Habit and Intelligence ” will amply repay a close and 
critical study, and that the eighteenth chapter in particular 
points the way to a field of research not to be neglected. 
Beale’s edition of Todd and Bowman’s Physiology, p. 41. 
