138 MENTAL EVOLUTION IN ANIMALS. 



sical processes even of the simplest kind, is a fact of great 

 significance. And, that the same applies to perceptions of 

 the most multitudinous and complex kind, is proved in 

 every-day life by the acquired rapidity with which bankers' 

 clerks are able to add up figures, musicians to read a compli- 

 cated score at sight, &c. But perhaps one of the best cases 

 to quote in this connection is the celebrated one of the result 

 of a systematic course of training to which the conjuror 

 Houdin submitted his son. The training consisted in making 

 the boy walk rapidly before a shop window, and perceive as 

 many objects in the window as possible. After several 

 months the boy was able to devour so many objects at a 

 glance, that his father advertised him as " gifted with a mar- 

 vellous second sight ; after his eyes have been covered with a 

 thick bandage he will designate every object presented to 

 him by the audience."* That is to say, the boy, before his 

 eyes were bandaged, was able to perceive all the objects in 

 the room which were likely to be presented to him. It is of 

 interest to note that Houdin, who thus paid special attention 

 to the development of rapidity of perception, observes that 

 women as a rule have a greater rapidity than men, and says 

 that he has known ladies who were able while seeing another 

 lady " pass at full speed in a carriage, have time to analyze 

 her toilette from her bonnet to her shoes, and be able to 

 describe not only the fashion and quality of the stuffs, but 

 also say if the lace were real or only machine made."f I 

 mention this opinion of Houdin because in my own obser- 

 vations on rapid reading I have been struck with the fact 

 that ladies nearly always carry off the palm. 



Dr. G. Buccola has shown in a recently published essay 

 that the reaction-time is, as a general rule, less among edu- 

 cated than it is among uneducated persons, and greatest 

 among idiots.} I may also direct attention to an interesting 

 paper published a few months ago by Mr. G. Stanley Hall,§ 

 " On the lengthening of the Eeaction-time under the Influence 

 of Hypnotism :" the lengthening is not so considerable as 

 might have been anticipated. 



I have dwelt thus at length on all the main facts which 



* Memories of Robert Houdin, vol. ii, p. 9. Professor Preyer has also 

 published some observations on this subject. + Ibid., p. 7. 



J La durata del diseeruimento e della determinazione volition, Rivisti di 

 Fdus. Scientif., I, p. 2. § Mind, No. XXX. 



