462 APPENDIX 



these experiments Rolf's mistress was present. On the same day 

 apparently Dr. Gruber and Dr. Wilser interviewed Rolf in the absence of 

 his mistress and also tried unseen experiments. The dog, however, paid 

 no attention but gaped impolitely, and after many remonstrances brought 

 out the following sentence, " wholly unexpected and astonishing to all 

 present": "Very many pictures seen and said what they are with 

 Ziegler (who had been with him two days before). It is enough. Will not 



say any more what it is All men give me the hump." We may 



sympathise perhaps, but we shall not agree with Dr. Wilser that in this 

 remark obviously nobody could have helped him. He then went on to 

 describe a picture correctly as a fat pig, but this picture here said to 

 have been shown in the absence of his mistress corresponds precisely with 

 one of the unseen experiments described by Dr. Gruber. Finally, after 

 returning to his mistress, Rolf gave some beautiful proofs of his capacity. 

 It follows that, in fact, experiments in the absence of his mistress, the 

 answer to which was unknown to the experimenters, failed. Instead of 

 performing them the dog produced this ridiculous sentence which substi- 

 tuted astonishment and laughter for enquiry. Monsieur Claparede 

 (" Claparede et Des Bancels," Archives de Psychologic, XIII. p. 377), 

 who attempted unseen experiments, found, as a careful observer would, 

 considerable difficulty in satisfying himself as to the conditions, but 

 finally succeeded in so satisfying himself in two cases, in one of 

 which the dog gave a correct description of a picture, in the other 

 a vague one. As to this success, Monsieur Claparede says judiciously : 

 " We affirm that Mdme. Moekel did not look at the pictures, and 

 we believe that it would have been very difficult to see them even 

 involuntarily." But affirmation is not a proof, and this proof would be 

 necessary to secure the experiment all its value. Monsieur Claparede 

 wished to continue the experiments the next day. Rolf, in the meantime, 

 had been taken ill. He concludes that his observations did not suffice to 

 establish the facts proposed to be verified. " Without doubt the experi- 

 ments that we report seem to attest in the dog the possibility of a spon- 

 taneous speech, and would demonstrate its real existence if they had been 

 executed in conditions which could defy criticism. But we cannot offer 

 them as entirely satisfactory in this respect. We are obliged to insist, on 

 the other hand, that Rolf, sympathetic as he is, does not, under ordinary 

 circumstances, as far as we have the means of judging, pass the level of a 

 dog reputed to be intelligent, and that under the tests to which he is con- 

 strained he often shows signs of marked ennui" This is but a cold criti- 

 cism to follow the enthusiastic article of Professor Mackenzie (Archives 

 de Psychologie, XIII. p. 379). The authors add that they had wished 

 to show Rolf a card saying, " There is some sugar for you behind the 

 drawing-room door." This test, which it may be agreed would have been a 

 most decisive one, was prevented by Rolfs indisposition. 



