REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT.
That portion of Mrs. Talbot's B«port having reference to the
subject of Infant Developmeiit waLs as follows :

The importanee of makii:^ some systematic effort to record the
development of in&nt life baa occupied the thoughts of many
people in various countries for a long period, and observations of
isolated cases have been made, such as those by Mr. Alcott, on a
grotip of diildren fifty years ago^ in Pennsylvania ; that by Taii&e,
cm ^e "Developinebt of Language in a Youtig Child ;" tiiat hf
Charles Biarwin, on flie "Expression of the Emotions," and by
Professor Preyer, oii <«PsychogeneSis." In a more mOd(M
Way, and fhttn the impcdse of stronfg parental feeling and curiosity^
riithei^ tliaii from ttay delibe^tft^ inientioti of making a sden^^te
inveslagiition, toothers ber^ fltnd th^e, iM this and otiier cotrnf^iei
have kept a diary dt the physicul and taetMl development of thel^
eb^drett. It was suggested at tbfe ladt General Meettog' of i^s
Aissociatioii thAt itf this field Iras a woi^ whicb otfght to be mrioxj^
xmdeiMt^tkj and that this Depairtsient shocdd b^in tbe dMhmilr



6 AMEBIGAK SOCIAL SCIENCE A880CIATIOK.
