Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 3.djvu/636

620 that he had not only seen others magnetize crawfish, but had himself succeeded in the attempt. On being asked for fuller particulars as to what he meant, the gentleman told me that the whole thing was uncommonly simple.

You hold the crawfish firmly in one hand, and with the other make magnetic strokes from the end of the animal toward the head. If, in the mean while, when making these passes in the given direction, and carefully avoiding any other movement, the tips of the fingers are placed at the animal's back, it forms an arch as the hand is withdrawn. Under this manipulation the crawfish, in a short time, becomes quiet, places itself on its head in a vertical position, using its feelers and the two claws, which are pushed inward, as a support. In this peculiar and unnatural position the animal remains motionless, until passes are again made in the opposite direction, beginning at the head, at which it begins to move once more, tries to lose its equilibrium, at last falls, and crawls away.

As my informant was known to be an intelligent man, and of a most credible, honorable character, of course I could entertain no doubt respecting the veracity of this simple, clear, though remarkable statement, and least of all could I have expressed such a doubt to him; but my knowledge of Nature led me to say to him that, although I placed the utmost belief in his communication, I was of the opinion that he had related to me an "event viewed unequally."

Indeed, that the crawfish placed itself on its head, and remained motionless in this position after having the passes made over it, was certainly an actual circumstance, inasmuch as he testified to it; but that the so-called "magnetic" strokes with the finger-tips, and the action of magnetizing, were the actual cause of the crawfish's condition, was, for me, in spite of his testimony, and without wishing to presume upon him, no real incident, that I could accept on faith and belief, or, above all, consider worthy of an earnest inspection; because this was in no way the object of his perception and examination.

I desired him to show me the experiment—not that I expected a demonstration, nor that I doubted his facts—but mainly because I had nothing better to do, and I thought I would be able to promise him on this occasion a clearer idea of moderate perceptions in Nature, as a slight service on my part, and show him, with an example, what an "event viewed unequally" was. No sooner said than done. The order was given to procure crawfish from a neighboring brook, and we soon had a basketful before us.

What then happened I will illustrate to you in the same way that we performed the experiment then, for I have here in this vessel a number of crawfish all ready. My friendly companion, sure of the result of his experiment, seized one of the animals and began his "magnetic" strokes, from the end toward the head, exactly as I am doing now. The crawfish, which at first resisted, gradually became calm;