THE CHILD AND THE GRAMOPHONE RECORDS.
1 To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] was interested to read the letter from G. McDougall in your issue of April 28th, for my son showed a similar power of picking out records when he was about two and a-half- or, at any rate, long before he could read. His mother and I were much puzzled and often discussed the reason of this peculiar instinct. We came to the conclusion that it could be accounted for only in the fact that the inscriptions and lettering on the various records were slightly different—i.e., the number and length of the words ; and though the child could not read he learnt to associate these particular differences with the tune produced. The child was never actually taught to name the tunes but doubtless heard the names mentioned by his mother or myself.
It seems to be only one other example of the acute powers of observation which children are known to possess.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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