THINKING ANIMALS 181 



developed from the normal " rapport " which is 

 necessary and pre-existent. 



This " rapport " is that of a master to a child ; 

 but to a very special kind of child, a " child " more- 

 over who, from the biological point of view, has not 

 been corrupted by the thousands of years of reasoning 

 and society that weigh on the human child. It is, 

 therefore, nearer to the " fountains of life " if I may 

 be allowed to express myself in that way ; and nearer 

 to the mathematical potentiality (which was at first 

 unself-conscious, but which has subsequently been 

 developed). But, of course, it is not enough for 

 mathematics "to be " in something, for that some- 

 thing to begin at once to tap numbers. The table 

 of the mediumistic seances contains much mathematics 

 (in its physical assemblage), but in order to make it 

 " tap " there must be somebody to move it : in fact, 

 a " medium." In my view, as soon as the animal sub- 

 ject has been able to understand " numbers " and 

 this postulate of the new zoopsychology, I repeat, I 

 believe to be indispensable to the whole edifice the 

 animal finds itself sufficiently in harmony with the 

 master to become capable (in principle) of all the 

 subsequent " wonders." 



This it is which constitutes the first discovery, as 

 I have called it, of the " new zoopsychology." And 

 on that discovery, in my opinion, are based through 

 various gradations its chief results, on the supposi- 

 tion that at a certain moment there takes place a new 

 specific action, the " declanchement " of the mediumis- 

 tic relationship between the animal and the experi- 

 menter. And it may be that the development of 

 such a very special relationship between man and 

 animals may be comparatively easy. That is, it may 

 be that the animal is relatively easily permeable by a 

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