Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-07
BY MARJORIE IAN DE WATER.

IS alike as two peas in a pod! This ex-
III preston is Immediately brought to
J7 mind by the sight Of what scientists
term Identical twins"
And recent studies Of identical twins
by Psychologists, psychologists, fngerprint ex-
perts and students of heredity have revealed
that the old saying really UNDERSTANDS the case
Identical twins are more alike than two peas
in q pod! The two peas when they grow ND
into adult vines lose their similar appearance
One vine may be tall and the other short; one
thriving and the other puny. The human
identical twins continue to resemble each other
closely all through lfe and often die of the
same diseases.
Even in the few known cases where the twins
have been separated very early in life and
brought up under very different conditions, they
continue to look so much alike that even their
intnlates require the traditional pink and blue
ribbons to tell them apart.
RUT how about the minds that dwell within
= the duplicate bodies? Are they identical
also? Psychologists are eagerly seeking the
answer to these questions, and are searching
out pairs Of twins the world over for detailed
study.
DR.. Albert F. Blakeslee of the Department of
Genetics of the Carnegie Institution of WASH
ngton has recommended the starting of a
special school in New York City at which the
only pupils would be identical twins The
teachers would also be identical twins
There educators could try out the new
methods they devise. If one twin under the
new method showed great improvement while
the other one of the pair, under the old method
failed to improve likewise, the experimenter
could feel that the new method was better.
In this school also the psychologist could give
the mental tests designed to measure the native
ability OF the children and find out to what
extent the twin children win give twin answers
have already been given detailed study show a
startling resemblance to each other.
Two twin brothers who entered the ROYAL
College Of Physicians and Surgeons on the same
DAY were so much alike mentally that Dr.
Clement Lucas. an English physician interested
ma the PAN, looked up their school records.
Their various school papers had been marked
by II different teachers total Of 66 times and
IN only one case did they receive marks that
were not exactly uniform. In that case the
paper OF one boy was called excellent" while
the other was marked every good indeed"
Both boys received the same number of points
on the entrance examination to the medical
school.
{ IAN you think Of any two brothers Of your
acquaintance not twins who could show q
record Of such exactly similar progress?
Xou may wonder whether this likeness is due
70 similarity in the way the twins think or
whether it is just result of their being to-
gether and consulting about the questions. DR..
Winifred Richmond of American University
Washington, D. c., gives you the answer She
has given mental tests to twin children under
circumstances making 1t impossible for them
70 get together about them at all. Yet they
gave answers that were almost Identical and
received very nearly the same total scores In
the grading.
In the case Of adult twins, especially those
who have been brought up by foster parents in
entirely different surroundings, it has been found