1 882.] t Recent Literature. 727 



the next room, and she immediately went to sleep, although the 

 pretended operator was not in the house and knew nothing about 

 it. In a " good subject " it may be sufficient to impress upon 

 their minds the idea that the event is about to take place, in order 

 to secure its occurrence. 



I have said that there was still something about hypnotism 

 which had not yet been fathomed. By that I do not wish to be 

 understood as saying that there is anything mysterious or super- 

 natural in it. But simply that we do not yet understand sufficient 

 of the intimate workings of mind, or of the relation between 

 mind and matter to follow the connection between various mental 

 attributes. We are accustomed to consider these attributes as 

 seen in the ordinary or normal state, but are not prepared to say 

 what would be the effect of abolishing or suspending certain 

 functions, upon other functions of the mind. 



In a weil marked case of hypnotism in man, freed from all ele- 

 ments of deceit, the condition of the mind of the subject shows 

 an alteration of normal functions and a perversion of the will 

 power, so that he is completely under the guidance and control 

 of the operator. 



Sensation is also so perverted that it too appears to be at the 

 mercy of the operator. Heidenhain expresses it in more exact 

 language by saying that there is " inhibition of the cortical cells 

 of the cerebrum." 



(At the close of the reading of the paper, a hen and canary 

 bird were introduced and successfully " mesmerized " by Dr. 

 Prentiss.) 



RECENT LITERATURE. 



Oustalet's Monograph of the Megapodiid.e. 1 — In this mon- 

 ograph, as in most monographs of vertebrate groups, the inter- 

 relation of whose species is known, the number of distinct forms 

 has been reduced. As this reduction has been made after a 

 thorough study of the examples in the British Museum, London 

 Zoological Society and Leyden Museum, as well as those in the 

 Museum d'Histoire Nature! le at Paris, there is little doubt that 

 the conclusions arrived at will be generally accepted. 



This peculiar family of birds is r maikab! I'm its practice of 

 bation as well a« for rtw» ctr^nath and weight nf it-s 



