Blake.] 
152 [May 17, 
Tlu' saiiu' clliciency is evidciKX'd in t\\v. rocoo-iiitioii of an 
indivitliial. Tlii' Ict't hand is moved slowly over the surface of the 
body, the iiu;ht hand inovinj^ rapidly and with the fingers in more 
active motion. Tlie investigation includes the arms, the ti-unk, 
the neck, ami usually finally the face, the peculiarity of costume 
being apparently sutficiently memorized so that a change in 'the 
attire of a ])erson ])reviousl3^ seen is noticed and remarked njion. 
The liands are examined especially upon the palm, and a single 
swee])ing touch is given to a ring or bracelet. In the latter case if 
there is any special ornament like a pendant,, it is held with the 
fingers of the left hand, and minutely examined with the fore- 
finger and thumb of the right. There is very evident appreciation 
of difference in texture, bnt power to appreciate differences iti 
color by the sense of touch has not yet been investigated, though 
Laura Bridgman has been said to remark of a red cloth that it 
felt good and warm. It is still a question also in the case of 
Willie Robin how far the sense of smell may serve to help her in 
recognizing places and individuals. Apparently she does exercise 
this sense in i-eference to individuals, as do some deaf mutes, 
some blind people, and others fully possessed of all their senses, 
in whom the sense of smell is said to be especially acute ; she 
has distinguished the vegetables carried through the room on a 
tray, and has detected by the odor the presence of a dog in an 
adjoining room. This, however, is evident, that a touch upon the 
hand, a moving of the fingers over the sleeve or cuffs, or perhaps 
a momentary seai'ch for some identifying object of wearing apparel, 
a button or a pin, serves to satisfy her in the identification of an 
acquaintance, and she either ])ronounces tlie name or spells it out 
with her fingers. The degree to which the touch sense and the 
sense of smell can be educated in connection with her memorizing 
power would seem to be j)ractically limitless. Experiments with 
tuning forks in vibration show that like Laura Bridgman she 
appreciates the rhythmic motion, which is to her the sense of 
sound, more readily through her fingers than when the butt of the 
fork is i)laced in contact with the head, though one of her clinical 
amusements is to set a fork in vibration by ])uirmg it with her 
fingers and then to place it. on top of her head. A series of 
experiments with tuning forks showed that when set in vibration 
and placed upon the forehead Willie Robin distinguished between 
a low fork of 120 v. s. and a higher fork of 5G2 v. s., voicing the 
