ans of an
involuntary movement which did the work of a closing signal. At the same
time Mr. von Osten, likewise standing to the right of the horse and
expecting more taps, remained perfectly quiet. (This is as it was in
the tests, mentioned on page 71, in which, of two experimenters, one
started the horse tapping, and the other stopped him.) Mr. von Osten
very probably lost patience after Hans had seemingly given the wrong
response twice, and thereupon came nearer to the horse and thus by
monopolizing its attention--so as to exclude Prof. Schillings--he was
able to get the response so ardently desired.[AF] When, in tests such as
these, two stoppers were opened and thus two notes sounded, Mr. von
Osten would count the number of stoppers intervening between the two,
and Hans would tap the number. And so arose the tale of Hans's knowledge
of musical intervals. Whenever the two notes were sung or whistled, in
which case there would be no stoppers that could be counted, then Mr.
von Osten, who was quite destitute of musical knowledge, was at a loss,
and also Hans. If, however, the intervening notes were sung, then
everything went smoothly once more. Major and minor chords were
regularly characterized as "beautiful", all others as "bad", (but even
here errors occurred). A musician had taught Mr. von Osten these
distinctions. The old man also knew the melodies that were played on the
hand-organ. Each one had a number assigned to it, and Hans was required
to tap the number of the melody in token of recognition.--Hans was as
ignorant of musical time, as he was of melody, and all attempts to get
him to march in regular step were utterly futile. A number of musical
tests were made in the absence of Mr. von Osten. In these Mr. Hahn
undertook the questioner's role, and since he had had musical training,
he was aware of what the numbers should be, even when he could not see
the stoppers of the harmonica, and, therefore, we readily understand why
it was that the horse responded so wonderfully in his case.

[Footnote AF: General Noizet[79] has left us a story of the middle
of the last century, which in essential detail corresponds closely
with the one just given. The scene is a French chateau and the hero
is--a rapping table, highly prized on account of the intelligent
answers it could give. Seated about it were a number of ladies and
at the other end of the room sat a French savant, a member of the
Academy.