CONCLUSION 



By Professor H. F. Ziegler 



THE most important contribution that had 

 been made to the study of Animal Psychology 

 consists in the new " Alphabet of Raps," 

 which enables dumb creatures to give reasonable 

 expression to their thoughts, and provides us at the 

 same time with the means of gaining some insight 

 into their thinking and feeling. This method owes 

 nothing to scientific investigators, yet may these 

 gladly acknowledge the great progress thus indicated, 

 rather than reject it with impatience and distrust. 

 To proudly decline anything to do with it would 

 indeed be out of place : rather is it careful study and 

 independent confirmation a personal application of 

 this new method that is here most needed. The 

 inventor of this " Rapping and Spelling Method " was 

 the late Wilhelm von Osten, in Berlin, reference to 

 whom has been made in the opening chapter of this 

 book. But the specialists refused to recognize his 

 labours they destroyed his position by their 

 erroneous findings and their disapprobation the 

 campaign carried on against von Osten being by no 

 means free from a spirit of unfairness. 1 



1 I would here refer the reader to the references I made to the 

 work issued by Pfungst ; they may be found in " The Animal 

 Soul " (Reports of new observations made with respect to horses 

 and dogs), 2nd ed. (W. Jung) 1916, p. 38. 

 152 



