REACTION OF THE HORSE 229 



if the process had been one of " training ". Again and 

 again Hans failed to make the right count. Before a 

 large audience, one time, it took four tests to get him to 

 tap properly up to 20, and in all four I could note clearly 

 that it was Mr. von Osten who, by his involuntary pre- 

 mature movements, was the innocent cause of the failure. 

 On another occasion, after Hans had done some beauti- 

 ful work in fractions, in the presence of a large number 

 of spectators, the master asked him the simple question: 

 " Where is the numerator in a fraction ? " — The answer 

 was first : " to the left ", and then, after a severe repri- 

 mand: "down" (below), and finally: "up" (above). 

 He often made just such incorrect movements of the head. 

 In the color-selecting tests the average of error was quite 

 unpredictable. With an equal number of tests, on one 

 day, half would be successful, on another, four fifths, on 

 a third, one-tenth. Often Hans appeared to be " indis- 

 posed" for days at a time. The color tests would often 

 end in expressions of rage on the part of Mr. von Osten 

 and in consequence Hans would become startled and 

 would then storm about the courtyard so that it was dan- 

 gerous to try to approach him. Some may object that all 

 this was mere comedy and that possibly Mr. von Osten 

 prevented some of the tests from turning out successfully. 

 But this objection is to be met by the statement that very 

 often failure would occur just when it was particularly 

 desirable to have the tests appear in a favorable light 

 before a large and enthusiastic assemblage of visitors. 

 After such failures he would be downcast on account of 

 Hans's contrariness. It is also significant that Mr. von 

 Osten's percentage of error, corresponds very closely 

 with my percentage of error in the " non-voluntary " 

 tests, (page 84f.), whereas he never was able to obtain 



