Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-03-15
sEa7vplons Performance ofnuor

tho we'll known astronomer, Or. I!ussias,
had four Ioltcd friend dwelling with him 10:
Eauy years rs regular mcmbcr Of hi; lIousc-
hold, E!aS'iH ct noble proportions, who boro
lhc srcat Daalc of kcplcr. This Cog possessed
many rare gifts, which he'd sccqred for him the
admiration and regard Of a largo number Of
scientific, scqaantaGels, AID among these was
onc which Inc was always acady to exercise for
the entertainments of visitors. At the closo cf
luncheon or dinner, kopler used to march
sIaVe'y Rnd sodatcly into the room, end set
himself down at his master foot.
u. iiuegl1s then prop0undod TO him series
OF arithmello9l questions, which tho dog inva
rlably solved without @ mistake. Square roots
WcFo extracted tifh3ud with the utmost roadi.
n:Ss and promptuess. j. asked what Eas tho
!!quaro root OF nine, k?pcr replied by thrco
barkS; CT, II the question were tho square roo.
c: sIStccp, By four. Then various questions
followed, in which much moro comp!ic ltcd nro.
cessas We're involved, such, for instance, as
'Aid seven to eight. diviio tho sum By thrco,
and multiply By tTo" 10 suoh question IS
tha. hcpler gave morr consideration, and somo
times hcsiiatcd in makiug up his mind as to
where his banks ought finally to stop. Still, in
the cnd, lis decision was always right.
The reward fer caca correct answer was
ricc3 OF cake, which was held before him during
tho fEerclsc; but until tho solution was arrived
at, hHplcr never moved his eye from lis mas.
tcrs iacc. Tho ios;ant tho last bark vas given
&c transferred his attention to the cake. This
cotatls c'so of canlno sagacity, however. iu no
way initiates against the remarks which have
recently been mado in rclorcrc, TO tho idoo.
motor character of the quadrupcdsl mind. DR..
tlugglos was perfectly unconsc cous of ofsuggostipe
the proper answer to tho dog, but it is beyond
all question that be did so. Tto wonderful
ttct Is that koplcr bad acquired tho habit Of
reading 10 his masters cyc or counIcnenoo some
Indication thst was net kncwn to d.. Hugeips
himself.
he o!Go was o0e of the class wloh is distin.
gulshed by Psychologists as that Of cspcctapt
attention. DR.. llugeios YVES himself cnpaced
IN working cut mentally tho various stages of
his artthmonoal processes as he propoundod the
numbers TO Acpler, and boiug, therefore, aware
OF what tho answer should b., expected tho dog
to cease berklos Whco that uumbcr wssroached;
and that expectation suggested to his own brain
the unconscious signal which was caught by the
quick cyo Of tho dog. Tho instance is strictly
analogous TO the we'll known ctso in Which q
huttoa. suspended from q thread and held bv q
n'S'' I'"i " TIC fim Or glass, strikes the
hour OF tho day ns It swiugs and then stors-
that IS provided the person who holds the hu.-
ION hiUscI! knvws the hour.
Ihc exclamation Of this occurronoc is that the
As"G which holds tho button tteclbIes in consc-
H"HEce "I lis cors!rSi1cd position, and ia that
way s:ta the Guston saipsng and as iho attcn
t!on 9! ihe 'xpermentcr is fixed upon the os-
citation: iii tho expectation that Gctinito rum.
beg CT strikes uron the glass will occur, his own
trlla co&T0u;iGrs tako care that The movements
Ct ihc ingey shall bn IL ac,araapca With that
"%htc'#:i:i.- EHinburgh Rcpic,c,