HYPNOTISM IN ANIMALS. 79 



entirely succeed, as it concerns essentially the concentration of the 

 pigeon's attention, and the fixing of its look. Individual, inward re- 

 lations, as well as outward conditions, must necessarily exercise some 

 disturbing influence, whether the animal will give itself up to the re- 

 quisite exertions of certain parts of its brain with more or less inclina- 

 tion, or otherwise. You then understand why apparently little cir- 

 cumstances may be responsible for the result of an experiment in 

 which this critical moment plays a part. 



We often see, for example, how a pigeon endeavors to escape 

 from confinement by a quick turning of its head from side to side. In 

 following these singular and characteristic movements of the head 

 and neck, with the finger held before the bird, one either gains his 

 point, or else makes the pigeon so perplexed and excited that it at 

 last becomes quiet, so that, if it is held firmly by the body and head, 

 it can be forced gently down upon the table. It is as Schopenhauer 

 says of sleeping, " The brain must bite." I will also mention here, by- 

 the-way, that a tame parrot, which I have in my house, can be placed 

 in this sleeping condition by simply holding the finger steadily before 

 the top of its beak. 



But let me hasten, gentlemen, to say to you that, in the remarkable 

 and singular influence which the holding of the finger exercises on 

 pigeons, the influence of the mythical agents may not be removed ; 

 agents which may come from the organization of the experimenter, 

 and, perhaps, spring from the outstretched finger. Nevertheless, a 

 glass tube, a cork, a small wax-candle, or any other equally lifeless 

 substance, placed directly on the top of the pigeon's bill, has the same 

 magical effect as when the human finger is used. We must only be 

 careful that the animal be placed so that its attention is fixed for some 

 time on the object. I have seen pigeons sit motionless for some min- 

 utes, with open eyes, after I had placed a lucifer-match, or a wax-light, 

 on the top of their bills. 



Often, with hens, these experiments succeed in the most astonish- 

 ing manner. I have repeatedly seized hens with both hands by the 

 body so that their heads and necks were quite free, and forced them 

 gently against a pedestal on which a glass tube was placed, so that it 

 just touched the top of the bill. The animal, when left perfectly free, 

 remained gazing fixedly at the glass tube for more than a minute. 

 The same thing happened when a cork stopper was used, instead of 

 the glass tube. 



Finally, I will mention that with the hens I often hung a piece of 

 twine, or a small piece of wood, directly over their crests, so that the 

 end fell before the eyes. I mention this experiment especially, be- 

 cause, when performed, the hens not only remained perfectly motion- 

 less, but closed their eyes, and slept with their heads sinking until 

 they came in contact with the table. Before falling asleep, the hens' 

 heads can be either pressed down or raised up, and they will remain in 



