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afternoon to receive from Dr. Mantell the results of his experi- 
ments in search for the causes of the sensitiveness of our local 
water-finder, Mr, Gataker, when passing over running water, 
either with an hazel rod, or a copper wire. In his paper the 
learned Doctor quoted many extracts from a pamphlet, entitled 
“The Divining Rod and its Uses,” by J. F. Young and 
R. Robertson, water-finders, 1894, presented to the Field Club. 
library by Major Menars, and stated that he was first induced 
to make his experiments by reading the alleged electrical 
phenomena seen in a Mrs. Manners, a water-finder, and 
corroborated by the Rev. W. Macknight, Rector of Silk 
Willoughby, and quoted in an essay by Mr. E. Vaughan- 
Jenkins, of Oxford. The reader stated that he arranged with 
Mr. Leicester Gataker, who had the gift of water-finding in a 
very high degree, for a meeting in order to experiment on him. 
when passing over running water with a copper wire, whether 
any electrical phenomena exhibited themselves in himself or 
wire. After three {separate experiments with ordinary needles, 
the same magnetized and iron filings, the reader stated that. 
in Mr, Gataker, when operating with his wire, there was no. 
electric or magnetic force whatever. He hoped, however, others. 
would make careful experiments with other dowsers, and report. 
their experiences. He had no clue to offer or new explanation 
to propound for the phenomena observable in Mr. Leicester 
Gataker. It may be some form of terrestial magnetism which. 
fails to show itself experimentally. The results of these experi- 
ments were sent by Dr. Mantell to Mr, Vaughan-Jenkins and to. 
Professor Barrett, a Vice-President of the Psychical Research 
Society, both thorough believers in Rhabdomancy, the former of 
whom regretted that Dr. Mantell’s experiments were diametri- 
cally opposed to Mrs. Manners’s results, but thought both might 
be true, owing to the different personal idiosyncracies of Mrs. 
Manners and Mr. Gataker, the latter congratulated Surgeon- 
Major Mantell on having disposed of the vulgar error that the 

