PREFACE.
The following Studies are not a complete treatise on child- psychology, but
merely deal with certain aspects of children’s minds which happen to have come
under my notice, and to have had a special interest for me. In preparing them I
have tried to combine with the needed measure of exactness a manner of
presentation which should attract other readers than students of psychology,
more particularly parents and young teachers.
A part of these Studies has already appeared elsewhere. The Introductory
Chapter was published in the Fortnightly Review for November, 1895. The
substance of those from II. to VIII. has been printed in the Popular Science
Monthly of New York. Portions of the “ Extracts from a Father’s Diary” appeared
in the form of two essays, one on “ Babies and Science” in the Cornhill Magazine
in 1881, and the other on “ Baby Linguistics” in the English Illustrated Magazine
in 1884. The original form of these, involving a certain disguise―though hardly
one of impenetrable thickness―has been retained. The greater part of the study
on “ George Sand’s Childhood” was published as two articles in Longmans’
Magazine in 1889 and 1890.
Like all others who have recently worked at vi child- psychology I am much
indebted to the pioneers in the field, more particularly to Professor W. Preyer. In
addition to these I wish to express my obligations to my colleague, Dr. Postgate,
of Trinity College, Cambridge, for kindly reading through my essay on children’s
language, and giving me many valuable suggestions; to Lieutenant- General Pitt
Rivers, F.R.S., and Mr. H. Balfour, of the Museum, Oxford, for the friendly help
they rendered me in studying the drawings of savages, and to Mr. E. Cooke for
many valuable facts and suggestions bearing on children’s modes of drawing.
Lastly, I would tender my warm acknowledgments to the parents who have sent
me notes on their children’s mental development. To some few of these sets of
observations, drawn up with admirable care, I feel peculiarly indebted, for without
them I should probably not have written my book.
J. S.
HAMPSTEAD,
November, 1895.