The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. & Francis Galton. [1879]. questionnaire "on the faculty of visualising", with responses of Darwin filled in [copy]. CUL-DAR144.482. (Cite as: John van Wyhe ed., 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin.

Questionnaire distributed for Francis Galton's Inquiries into Human Faculty,' 1883. Most of this was published in Life and letters, vol. 3, p. 239. This copy was used by Francis Darwin in the preparation of that work. See the context and full enclosure of which this is a part in Darwin to Francis Galton 14 November [1879]. Correspondence vol. 27.

[1]

Galton 3

Questions on the Faculty of Visualising.

	Questions.	Replies.
1.	Illumination.	Moderate, but my solitary breakfast was early & morning dark.-
2.	Definition	Some objects quite defined, a slice of cold beef, some grapes & a pear, the state of my plate when I had finished and a few other objects are as distinct as if I had photos before me.
3.	Completeness.	Very moderately so.
4.	Colouring.	The objects above-named, perfectly coloured.
5.	Extent of Field of View.	Rather small.
	Different kinds of Imagery.
6	Printed pages.	I cannot remember a single sentence, but I remember the place of the sentence and the kind of type.
7.	Furniture.	I have never attended to it.
8.	Persons.	I remember the faces of persons formerly well known vividly & can make them do anything I like.
9.	Scenery.	Remembrance vivid & distinct, & gives me pleasure.
10.	Geography.	No.
11.	Military movements.	No.
12.	Mechanism.	Never tried.
13.	Geometry.	I do not think I have any power of the kind.
14.	Numerals.	When I think of any number, printed figures arise before my mind I can't remember for an hour 4 consecutive figures.
15.	Card playing	Have not played for many years, but I am sure should not remember.
16	Chess.	Never played.

Over.

Xd.

[2]

Galton 3

Questions on the Faculty of Visualising contd

	Questions	Replies.
	Other Senses.
17.	Tones of Voice	Recollection indistinct, not comparable with vision
18.	Music.	Extremely hazy.
19.	Smells	No power of vivid recollection, yet sometimes call up associated ideas.
20.	Tastes	No vivid power of recalling.

Signature of Sender and Address. }

Charles Darwin
Down Beckenham

Born, February 12th 1809.

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)