The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-18
SCIENTISTS AT ODDS.

Professor David Jordan, OF the State Uni
yersity, in the May number of the Chicago
DIAL has caustic review of George J.
Romanes's ''Studies of Animal Intelligence, "
the last number of Appleton g. Co.'S Inter
national Scientific Series. This work is pre-
liminary to second volume on Mental
Evolution which is to make the present
volume appear something more than a mere
collection of anecdotes. The design of the
book is to show the degrees OF development of
the mental powers in each group from the
protozoa upward, showing that in each
higher group we find higher evidences OF
that faculty which becomes mind in man.
OF these anecdotes and their authorities,
Professor Jordan says:
1--WE have no disposition to dispute Mr..
Romanes's conclusions but his work does not
impress us as valuable contribution to
psychological science. His choice of anec-
dotes. and illustrations is certainly open to
serious criticism. In default of good evil
dence, science cannot afford to take that
which is untrustworthy. Upwards of four
hundred different persons are cited by Mr..
Romanes, and of these, fully three-fourths
|
nesses. Side by side with the results of the
careful experiments and observations of
such masters as Darwin and Lubbock, appear
crude notes of hasty observations, clipped
from the English newspapers. Still worse,
we have many accounts, evidently colored
by preconceived notions of their narrators-
stories wholly worthless after the deduction
of the personal equation The pre-scien-
tifc writings of Button and his 'continu-
ators,' with whom truth was subordinate
to style are often drawn upon, as also va
rious semi-literary scientific writings of later
times Thus, the Bishop of Carlisle is quoted
as follows:
81 have seen, also, a jackdaw in the midst OF a
congregation OF rocks, apparently being tried for
some misdemeanOr. First, Jack made speech,
which was answered by a general cawing of the
roOKs; this subsiding, Jack again took up his
parable, and the rocks in their turn replied.
After time, the business, Whatever it was, ap-
peared to be settled satisfactorily. If Jack was
on his trial, as he seemed to be, he was honorably
acquitted by reclamation, for he went to his
home in the towers OF Ely Cathedral, and the
rocks also went their way"
OF this Prof. Jordan says: "a more ex-
tended knowledge of American literature
would show to Mr.. Romanes a wonderful
mine of similar observations on the sa-
gacity of animals in the writings of Mr.. Joel
Chandler Harris"
In regard to the habits of the salmon Pro-
fessor Jordan's observations of the various
species have become classics among icthy-
ologists, as in the STORY of the Salmon, Told
by Himself" published in the Popular Sci.
ence Monthly and also his notes on their
breeding habits, in the American Natur-
alist. Mr.. Romanes quotes from Kirby
"a totally unreliable authority-as follows;
1.-THE distance up rivers to which salmon
will swim in the spawning season is no less
surprising than the energy with which they
perform the feat and the determination with
which they overcome all obstacles They
reach Bohemia by the Elbe, Switzerland by
the Rhine, and which is more wonderful
the Cordlleras OF America by the Maranon
They employ only three months in ascend
ing to the source OF the Maranon Ia journey
OF 5000 miles, the current of which is re-
markedly rapid, which is at the rate OF near
ly forty miles day. In a smooth stream or
lake their progress would increase in four
fold ratio. Their tail is very powerful or
gan, and its muscles have wonderful energy;
by placing it in their mouths they make Of
it a very elastic spring, for, letting it go with
violence, they raise themselves in the mir to
the height OF from twelve to fifteen feet