92 galton.org
92
Inquiries into Human Faculty
gentleman’s sister are given in Figs. 53, 54, Plate III. I extract the
following from Mr. Larden’s letter—it is all for which I can find space
“All numbers are to me as images of figures in general; I see them in ordinary Arabic
type (except in some special cases), and they have definite positions in space (as shown in
the Fig.). Beyond 100 I am conscious of coming down a dotted line to the position of 1
again, and of going over the same cycle exactly as before, e.g. with 1 20 in the place of 20,
and so on up to 140 or 150. With higher numbers the imagery is less definite; thus, for
1140, I can only say that there are no new positions, I do not see the entire number in the
place of 40; but if I think of it as 11 hundred and 40, I see 40 in its place, 11 in its place,
and 100 in its place; the picture is not single though the ideas combine. I seem to stand
near 1. I have to turn somewhat to see from 30—40, and more and more to see from 40—
100; 100 lies high up to my right and behind me. I see no shading nor colour in the
figures.”
Figs. 2 to 6 are from returns collected for me by the Rev. A. D. Hill,
science-master of Winchester College, who sent me replies from 135 boys
of an average age of 14—15. He says, speaking of their replies to my
numerous questions on visualising generally, that they “represent fairly
those who could answer anything; the boys certainly seemed interested in
the subject; the others, who had no such faculty either attempting and
failing, or not finding any response in their minds, took no interest in the
inquiry.” A very remarkable case of hereditary colour association was sent
to me by Mr. Hill, to which I shall refer later. The only five good cases of
Number-Forms among the 135 boys are those shown in the Figs. I need
only describe Fig. 2. The boy says
“Numbers, except the first twenty, appear in waves; the two crossing-lines, 60—70,
140—150, never appear at the same time. The first twelve are the image of a clock, and
13—20 a continuation of them.”
Figs. 7, 8, are sent me by Mr. Henry F. Osborn of Princeton in the
United States, who has given cordial assistance in obtaining information
as regards visualising generally. These two are the only Forms included in
sixty returns that he sent, 34 of which were from Princeton College, and
the remaining 26 from Vassar (female) College.
