12 AN EXPLANATOEY STATEMENT 



For myself I hope very much that Mr. Massingham's 

 studies will in the end enlighten our minds as to the nature 

 of those communications which undoubtedly take place 

 between animals, and also between men and animals. 

 The suggestion that if there is not language there is 

 something in the nature of thought transference is very 

 fascinating ; but one would like to see what evidence can 

 be produced for it and then have that evidence properly 

 weighed and examined. Certainly some of the stories in 

 the present volume seem to point in that direction. 



Having made apology for saying anything, the best thing 

 I can do is to say no more, and to salute my friend, Mr. Mas- 

 singham, and the public. I sincerely hope that in the 

 years to come he may give us a fresh series of studies, 

 notes, and explanations of collected Spectator stories, and 

 also continue his admirable habit of "capping" the 

 stories from his own experience or that of other investi- 

 gators. Take, for example, the delightful disquisition 

 under the heading of " The Mathematical Dog." 



As I turn Mr. Massingham's pages and read the stories 

 collected from the files of the Spectator during the last ten 

 years, I am astonished at the amount of fresh interest 

 conferred upon them by Mr. Massingham's annotations. 

 As the builder of the shanty, I advise all who knew that 

 ramshackle structure to go and see how worthy an edifice 

 has been reared upon the old foundations or perhaps I 

 should say want of foundations, for, now I come to think of 

 it, neither of my books had foundations. They just 

 squatted on the ground. All the same, it was great fun to 

 compile them and " get a rise " out of the naturalists. 



J. ST. LOE STBACHEY. 



