i68 



NATURE 



[Dec. 27, 1877 



and can only change oy a dispJacement of the wall itself. 

 Other orifices admit to the circle the light of a lamp and 

 enable the divisions to be read. These are drawn at 

 every five minutes of the circle, which then bears 4,320 

 equidistant marks ; each microscope is provided with a 

 micrometer which enables the tenths of a second of arc 

 to be observed. 



Tf now, by observations of the pole star at its upper 

 and lower transits, the observer determines in the same 

 way the direction of the telescope looking to the pole, 

 the angle comprised between that direction and that of 

 the telescope directed to the star will give the polar 

 distance of the star. If by means of a mercury bath he 

 determines the direction of the telescope when its optical 

 axis is vertical, he will ascertain in the same way the 

 distance of the star from the zenith. 



These observations may be made in the two positions 

 which the telescope takes before and after being turned 

 round. This is why it carries two cast-iron circles roughly 

 graduated and two brass circles finely graduated on silver, 

 which on the reversal of the instrument are substituted for 

 each other before the pointer- telescope and the fixed 

 microscopes. The arrangement of these circles insures 

 a perfect symmetry to the instrument, an essential condi- 

 tion if we wish to prevent irregular deformations. 



But these operations will only give the co-ordinates of 

 the star if they are made with an instrument set in the 

 meridian of the place. It is necessary then that the 

 telescope should turn round a horizontal axis, that it 

 should be perpendicular to that axis, and that the plane 

 which it describes in turning should pass through the 

 pole of the earth. A level, which the illustration repre- 

 sents resting by two forks upon the pivots of the tele- 

 scope, but which during the observations is raised by 

 means of a crane fixed to the ceiling, serves to measure 

 and correct the inclination of the axis of rotation. By 

 turning it upon a long support the perpendicularity of the 

 optical axis on the axis of the pivots can be assured. Two 

 supports are to be constructed, one on the north, the other 

 on the south ; the latter only has been made. Finally the 

 astronomical observation of the pole star indicate if the 

 last of the three conditions is fulfilled. 



A word on the illumination of the system of cross wires 

 visible in the eye-piece. During the day they stand out 

 on the clear background of the sky ; at night the same 

 effect is obtained by means of a ray of light proceeding 

 from a gas-lamp fixed on the west pillar, the rays of 

 which are sent towards the eye-piece by a small prism 

 fixed in the middle of the telescope. A screen with a 

 variable opening, or cat's-eye, permits the intensity of the 

 light to be proportioned to the brightness of the star 

 observed. Finally, for very weak stars a very simple 

 mechanical arrangement suppresses all light in the field, 

 and brings it to bear on the wires, which appear as 

 luminous lines on a background absolutely dark. 



The long illness of M. Leverrier did not permit him 

 to push on, so actively as he would have wished, the 

 preliminary investigations of this beautiful instrument, 

 among which we must mention one, long and difficult 

 — the divisions of the two circles. It will, without doubt, 

 be facihtated by this circumstance, that, traced by means 

 of the dividing machine constructed by M. Eichens, 

 the lines present a regularity and a finish altogether 

 favourable to precision. 



The astronomers of the observatory will hold it a point 

 of honour to take advantage as soon as possible of the 

 magnificent apparatus which they owe to the generosity 

 of M. Bischoffsheim. 



M 



R. 



FETICHISM IN ANIMALS 

 HERBERT SPENCER, in his recently pub- 



lished work on the " Principles of Sociology," treats 

 of the above subject. He says : " I believe M. Comte 



expressed the opinion that fetichistic conceptions are 

 formed by the higher animals. Holding, as I have given 

 reasons for doing, that fetichism is not original but derived, 

 I cannot, of course, coincide in this view. Nevertheless, 

 I think the behaviour of intelligent animals elucidates the 

 genesis of it. I have myself witnessed, in dogs, two 

 illustrative cases." One of these cases consisted in a 

 large dog, which, while playing with a stick, accidentally 

 thrust one end of it against his palate, when, '■ giving a 

 jelp, he dropped the stick, rushed to a distance from it, 

 and betrayed a consternation which was particularly 

 laughable in so ferocious-looking a creature. Only after 

 cautious approaches and much hesitation was he induced 

 again to lay hold of the stick. This behaviour showed 

 very clearly the fact that the stick, while displaying none 

 but the properties he was familiar with, was not regarded 

 by him as an active agent, but that when it suddenly 

 inflicted a pain in a way never before experienced from 

 an inanimate object, he was led for the moment to class it 

 with animate objects, and to regard it as capable of again 

 doing him injury. Similarly in the mind of the primitive 

 man, knowing scarcely more of natural causation than a 

 dog, the anomalous behaviour of an object previously 

 classed as inanimate, suggests animation. The idea of 

 voluntary action is made nascent ; and there arises a 

 tendency to regard the object with alarm, lest it should 

 act in some other unexpected and perhaps mischievous 

 way. The vague notion of animation thus aroused will 

 obviously become a more definite notion, as fa^t as 

 development of the ghost-theory furnishes a specific 

 agency to which the anomalous behaviour can be 

 ascribed." 



The other case observed by Mr. Spencer was that of 

 an intelligent retriever. Being by her duties as a retriever 

 led to associate the fetching of game with the pleasure of 

 the person to whom she brought it, this had become in 

 her mind an act of propitiation ; and so, " after wagging^ 

 her tail and grinning, she would perform this act of 

 propitiation as nearly as practicable in the absence of a 

 dead bird. Seeking about, she would pick up a dead leaf 

 or other small object, and would bring it with renewed 

 manifestations of friendliness. Some kindred state of 

 mind it is which, I believe, prompts the savage to certain 

 fetichistic observances of an anomalous kind." 



These observations remind me of several experiments 

 which I made some years ago on this subject, and which 

 are perhaps worth publishing. I was led to make the 

 experiments by reading the instance given in the " Descent 

 of Man," of the large dog which Mr. Darwin observed to 

 bark at a parasol as it was moved along a lawn by the 

 wind — so presenting the appearance of animation. The 

 dog on which I experimented was a Skye terrier — a 

 remarkably intelligent animal, whose psychological facul- 

 ties have already formed the subject of several com- 

 munications to this and other periodicals. ' As all my 

 experiments yielded the same results I will only mention 

 one. The terrier in question, like many other dogs, used 

 to play with dry bones by tossing them in the air, throw- 

 ing them to a distance, and generally giving them the 

 appearance of animation, in order to give himself the 

 ideal pleasure of worrying them. On one occasion^ 

 therefore, I tied a long and fine thread to a dry bone and 

 gave him the latter to play with. After he had tossed it 

 about for a short time I took an opportunity when it had 

 fallen at a distance from him and while he was following 

 it up, of gently drawing it away from him by means of 

 the long and invisible thread. Instantly his whole 

 demeanour changed. The bone which he had previously 

 pretended to be alive now began to look as if it really 

 were alive, and his astonishment knew no bounds. He 

 first approached it with nervous caution, as Mr. Spencer 

 describes, but as the slow receding motion continued, and 



' See especially an article on " Consc'ence in Animals," in Quarterly- 

 Journal qjf Science for April, 1876. 



