ilder grades of deficiency, so that if serial tests are depended upon
for the diagnosis of these cases they may be, and often are, very
fallacious. I may say here that although it would, of course, be
extremely valuable if we could devise tests which would accurately
measure mental capacity, particularly that capacity and those qualities
which are needed for social adaptation and maintenance, we have not yet
succeeded in doing so. The mental factors which may be involved in this
capacity for social adaptation, and which render the individual in need
of care, supervision, or control, are many and varied, and there is even
some danger that too much reliance upon serial tests may distract from
the adequate investigation of these qualities and defects and lead to
totally erroneous conclusions."

There is no doubt, however, that in the hands of competent observers
properly applied tests afford information of great value in assessing
mental and moral capacity, but the observer must be competent.

SECTION 7.--METHOD OF DEALING WITH MENTAL DEFECTIVES IN NEW
ZEALAND.

_Present Legal Provision for Notification and Education of Feeble-minded
Children, and for Care of Custodial Feeble-minded Adults and Children._

The Education Act, 1914, contains provision (see section 127) for the
establishment of special schools for the education and training of
afflicted children (deaf, blind, feeble-minded, and epileptic) between
the ages of six and twenty-one years, with provision in the case of
inmates of special schools for extension of the period of detention
where it is considered necessary in the public interest. For the
purposes of this Act,--

"'Feeble-minded child' means a child who, not being an idiot or imbecile
or otherwise a proper person to be sent to an institution under the
control of the Mental Hospitals Department, and not being merely
backward, is by reason of mental or physical defect incapable of
receiving proper benefit from instruction in an ordinary school, but is
not incapable by reason of such defect of receiving benefit from
instruction in a special school."

"'Epileptic child' means an epileptic child who is unfit by reason of
severe or frequent epilepsy to attend an ordinary school, but is not
idiot or imbecile or otherwise a proper person to be sent to an
institution under the control of the Mental Hospitals Department."

Section 127: "(2.) It shall be the duty of the parent of any ...
feeble-minded or e