l faculty alone. But if
there was a mixture of devices between people so skilled, I
despaired of bringing the genuine part of the phenomenon to
a definite issue.

"I do not think that either this or the weight of my other
avocations are a sufficient excuse for this neglect, but it
certainly was not easy to get opportunities for careful
investigation. One of the main difficulties was that they
were not free agents, having entered into contracts with
managers whose financial interests partly depended upon the
continued uncertainty of the public as to the causes
underlying their very remarkable performance. Moreover, I
knew that so skilled an investigator as Mr. Baggally was
more favourably impressed with them than I was myself, and
was able to give to them some considerable time and
attention.

"The extraordinary and rapid success with which Mrs. Zancig
named one thing after another, handled or seen by her
husband as he went through the hall in their public
performances, is familiar to everybody who attended those
exhibitions; but one episode which I have not put on record
did impress me as rather exceptionally good, though entirely
unsensational and unnoticeable at the time. I relate it
here:--

"The Zancigs happened to come to Birmingham for a week
during the University Vacation when I was away. On the last
day of their performance I happened unexpectedly to return
to Birmingham, and was dining at the club with some other
men. Some one remarked that the Zancigs were performing, and
suggested that we should cut dessert and go and see them; so
we went in the middle of the performance and sat at the back
of the gallery. Everything went on as usual. Mrs. Zancig was
on the stage, blindfolded, I think, though I attach no
importance to that. Mr. Zancig had been through the body of
the hall, and was coming along the side gallery, taking
objects from members of the audience as he went, and having
them described quickly one after the other as usual, when he
caught sight of me at the back of the gallery, and indicated
recognition by a little start. The next object that he took
in hand (a purse or what not) he said, 'What is this?' and
Madame Zancig on the stage said 'Oliver.' Zancig shook his
head and muttered, 'No, that's