We remember many years ago hearing the question discussed' whether any given colour presented exactly the sonic appearance to the eyes of one manas to the eyes of another; that is to any, whether it is capable of proof that what A calls ' red" produces the same sensition upon his optic nerve that it pro-daces on the optic nerve of B, or whether whit ia'red' to one may not be gresi, or blue, or yellow to his neighbour,—oases of colour-blindness, of course, aside. The question is one which' we suppose can only be decided by iuforence, and having no practical bearing on the affairs of life any discussion of it beyond what might occupy' a tow idle moments would be a waste of'tinie, Bat there is no' doubt that very cou-siderable differences exist among di ent people with regard tothe power of their senses. Just as cats and owls earl see better in the dark than in' the light, just as dogs a keelier sense of smell than human beings, 96, we are told, there aire' races of mon which differ from other races in some abuormal development or obtuseness of some one special faculty; atid the causes, as well as the evidences, of this phenomenon suggest a very interesting field fur itie vestigation. 'It la known, of course, that certain pursuits will conduce' to the exceptional refinement of semic one sense. Sailors, for instance, ate provorbially long-sighted. Savages, who depend for their sustenance on the chase, and who are always micro or'lesa their guard against danger' fiom hostile tribes or wild beasts, acquire' delicacy of ear and quickness' of eye which appear almost marvellous to' the civilised dweller in towns. The unerring accuracy with which 'a Hindoo will retrace every stop of a jotiiney through an Indian jungle in order recover some article he may Lave drop. ped the day before, and the uniform Success of lite 'éenrch, argue a culture of the power of observation which enn only be the result of years of ' practice, assisted by hereditary instinct. So far, then, the phenomonon'is easily understood. Bat there are instances of ential cogency which are much' lose capable of explanation, and het we: muar be content with observing before we can begin to generalis, Fur example: yeara of intimacy' more or less close ' with the habits, customs, and demeanour -of the'people of this country have led us to a confusion which may, perhapia, be impugned, which we: have not "coen stated in any'book on Cliint,-but which we are "ifevertheless ' fully aretl to defend. It is our fiend' cbtiviétion, that, from whatever cause, the"Cbit a nation, are' deaf. "hat deco of Henig lat voryanuoh alice than that of Europeans, just aa' the hearing ofa civilised mantis very nitidh duller than that ofa' savage, "'Wiidt is intolerable noise' to "a foreigner passes unheeded by a-Cliriamai a foreigner hears at'ouce, the: C! does not' hear wt all; 'Tustances' of this
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.