v ANIMAL AUTOMATISM 233 



looked at his pen, wiped it on his coat, dipped it 

 in the water, and began again with the same effect. 



On one occasion, he began to write upon the 

 topmost of ten superimposed sheets of paper. 

 After he had written a line or two, this sheet was 

 suddenly drawn away. There was a slight ex- 

 pression of surprise, but he continued his letter 

 on the second sheet exactly as if it had been the 

 first. This operation was repeated five times, so 

 that the fifth sheet contained nothing but the 

 writer's signature at the bottom of the page. 

 Nevertheless, when the signature was finished, 

 his eyes turned to the top of the blank sheet, and 

 he went through the form of reading over what 

 he had written, a movement of the lips accom- 

 panying each word ; moreover, with his pen, he put 

 in such corrections as were needed, in that part of 

 the blank page which corresponded with the 

 position of the words which required correction, 

 in the sheets which had been taken away. If the 

 five sheets had been transparent, therefore, they 

 would, when superposed, have formed a properly 

 written and corrected letter. 



Immediately after he had written his letter, 



F got up, walked down to the garden, made 



himself a cigarette, lighted and smoked it. He 

 was about to prepare another, but sought in vain 

 for his tobacco-pouch, which had been purposely 

 taken away. The pouch was now thrust before 

 his eyes and put under his nose, but he neither 



