without an appeal to his natural interests is irrational.

No study of the span of either voluntary or involuntary attention at different ages has yet been made, though some careful observers have taken occasional notes on its development in individual children. Mrs. Hall records that her child paid attention for eight minutes to the rattling of a box on the fifty-third day of his life. The same child, on the sixtythird day, was interested for thirty consecutive minutes in the rattling of a purse of coins. Miss Shinn also notes that, more than once in her fifth month, her little niece spent half an hour at a time in gazing out of the window. Voluntary attention is a complex development involving an effort of will and dependent upon the natural or involuntary attention, and the best educational methods demand a study of children's interests, and an adaptation of the school routine to them, so that full advantage may be taken of the simpler and earlier development.

QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO NATURE

F., 3. What makes the sun shine? Who puts the stars in the sky at night?

F., 4. If I put a ball on that hill it rolls down, and what I want to know is how God keeps the moon up in the sky?

M., 41. Asked how the moon got up so high, and said he would n't like to be up on it.

F., 5. What makes the stars twinkle?

F., 5. What do we have a moon for? Why don't it be as bright as the sun? Why don't it be round? How can it be round sometimes? What good is the man? Don't the woman let him go out ever? If I was in the moon could I see you? Why not? Can I go when I die if I want to?

M., 5. Asked if the man in the moon ever went to sleep; why the sun stood still; what made the stars twinkle; how the dew came on the grass; what made the thunder make such a noise; what made the wheels of the clock go round, and what made the pendulum swing.

M., 5. Used to wonder whether the clouds run on the sky or on wheels, and why they did n't fall down.

M., 6. Wanted to know what fog was and what made it?

M., 6. What makes the wind blow? Is some one pushing it along? I should think it would stop when it ran into a house or big tree. Does it know it turns our papers over?

F., 6. Watching a beam of sunlight, said: “ Why does it stay so narrow? Why is it on this side of the room in the morning and the other at night?"

M., 6. How can the world turn round and not tip us out of bed? How does the water stay in the wells?

M., 6. On seeing a windmill for the first time, said: “Does the wind make the wheel go round? How does the wind make it go round?"

F., 7. Where does the snow come from? Where does the sun go at night? What makes it thunder and lighten ?

F., 7. Was told that the moon was made of green cheese, and was curious to see if it really was.

F., 7. During a thunderstorm, asked: "What is that, thunder? Oh, dear, what good does it do to thunder? Who makes it thunder, anyway? I wonder if it thunders in New York."

F., 7. Seeing plums for the first time, asked: "What are they? Can you eat them? Where did they come from?

F., 7. What makes the waves roll in? Where does the water come from?

F., 71. Where do all the worms come from after a shower? Do they rain down?

F., 8. What makes the snow? Why is n't it dirty, like dust?

M., 9. Wanted to know where the rain came from, how it got down, and why it did n't rain all the time.

M., 11. Looking at the river which was very high, exclaimed, “I wonder what made it so high, it has not rained very much."

M., 8. Having had the new moon pointed out to him, wanted to know where the old moon was.

F., 9. What is the end of the world made of? What should I see if I went where the mountains touch the sky? How many stars are there?

M., 9. Why don't nuts fall before the frost comes? What does the frost have to do with it, anyway?

M., 9. Why is the moon different shapes?

QUESTIONS IN REGARD TO ANIMAL LIFE

M., 5. Looking at bears, asked, "Mamma, why do they throw so much bread to bears?" "Because they are hungry, and must have something "Oh, do they get hungry as we do?"

to eat.'

M., 5. On seeing a Manx cat for the first time, said: "Did a dog bite off her tail in a fight? Did the cat want her tail cut off? Do you think I can make my cat bobtailed?"

M., 4. On seeing a fur boa, asked: "Who killed kitty? Did kitty cry?"

F., 5. Why does kitty have fur?

M., 6.

Do fishes go on land to sleep?

F., 6. How do the flies walk upside down?

F., 7. Why do a canary's throat feathers ruffle when he sings? How does he do it?

Nearly twice as many boys as girls, according to the present data, show special interest in mechanics, and the beginning of this interest is shown at a very early age. Mrs. Hogan notes the interest as a persistent one in her boy, at the age of fourteen months, and the five years of the record show that it was continued. Questions are but one phase of the development of this interest, the earlier manifestations being active observation passing into experiment, and very fully developed in the destructive phase of curiosity. Fifty per cent. of the cases of boys' interests and curiosity in all its phases are connected with motion, the desire to find out what makes things go being a powerful incentive to various forms of investigation. Children under three are apt to attribute life to things which have motion, their first experiences being connected with living beings as causal agencies. Many children and animals show fear of mechanical toys, and there is a struggle between this timidity, in the presence of the mysterious and unknown, and curiosity in regard to the moving object. A kitten exhibited, for several weeks, an amusing struggle between evident fear and curiosity whenever

a mechanical seal was wound up and turned loose on the carpet. The movements of the seal were somewhat erratic, and the kitten, following at what he probably estimated a safe distance, was occasionally surprised by a sudden turn of the seal, which he invariably avoided by leaping into the air. Whenever the mechanism ran down he smelled of the toy, pushed it about with his paws, and occasionally turned it over, always starting back, however, if he happened to set the wheels in motion. Familiarity finally overcame fear, even when the toy was wound up, but it never proved as attractive an object to chase as a ball, for which the kitten himself supplied the motor power. This attitude seems also to characterize young children, for a baby's early motor interests are in the things which he himself can do, and disappointed friends and relatives have often found their gifts of mechanical toys a failure, simply because they have too far anticipated the natural development, and the toy has proved either a source of fear or failed to excite special interest. In fact, even at a later period, mechanical toys which are too complicated in construction or too delicate to bear investigation, which are apt to be clumsy, soon lose their attractiveness, while something that can be taken to pieces and put together by unskilled fingers, so that it will "go again," may prove a lasting means of amusement and instruction. Kites and tops are as interesting to the children of the present generation as to their fathers, and to the children of the Orient as well as the Occident, because there is something for the operator to do as well as to watch, and curiosity as to just how these toys will behave under certain conditions is kept stimulated by occasional failure, and the necessity for finding a reason therefor. The few examples of questions here given suggest a range of interests which could readily be further stimulated and given an educational impulse which could be utilized in a school curriculum.

QUESTIONS SHOWING MECHANICAL INTERESTS

M., 3. What is inside your watch, auntie, that makes it talk? M., 4. Watching the walking beam on a steamer, asked: "What makes that thing go up and down? Is it the man?"

F., 4. Seeing her mother crocheting lace, asked, "Is that the way the lace on my dress is made?" Being answered in the negative, inquired, "Then how was it made?"

M., 7. What makes the trolley go? water for?

What does that engine need

F., 7. Always liked to watch the oiling and cleaning of the carriage and asked many questions in regard to it.

M., 7. After seeing a pile driver at work, and visiting a fort, overwhelmed the family with questions in regard to them.

M., 7. How does the steam move engines?

M., 7. Why can't you see the messages on the telegraph wire? How do they go?

F., 7. On seeing an electric car for the first time, asked: "What makes that car go? How can it go without horses?"

M., 7. Why can some people take pianos apart when others must n't? M., 7. How does pressing the button make the bell ring when it does n't move the wire any?

M., 7. Asked, "What made the clock run?" When on a ferryboat with his father, asked, "What makes the boat go?"

M., 8. What do all these people want to ride on the boat for?

M., 9. Was very anxious to know how the train ran. When he got out wanted to know how the wheels stayed on the track. Was told that they were grooved and that kept them on. Ran back quickly just as the train was moving off and called, "Wait a minute till I feel it."

M., 9. On seeing a train, asked: "What makes that train go? Why do they ring that bell? Where does that smoke go? Who made that train?"

ORIGIN OF LIFE

The questions relating to the origin of life were asked almost entirely by children between the ages of three and eight, the greater number falling between the ages of five and eight. Very few were reported after this age. This fact