Being much engaged in the study of ‘neurotic’ and hysterical patients, Dr. Janet thinks that they are most apt to see crystal visions.  Perhaps they are; and one doubts if their descriptions are more to be trusted than the romantic essay of their medical attendant.  In citing Miss X.’s paper (as he did), Dr. Janet ought to have reported her experiments correctly, ought to have attributed them to herself, and should, decidedly, have remarked that the explanation he offered was her own hypothesis, verified by her own exertions.

Not having any acquaintances in neurotic circles, I am unable to say whether such persons supply more cases of the faculty of crystal vision than ordinary people; while their word, one would think, is much less to be trusted than that of men and women in excellent health.  The crystal visions which I have cited from my own knowledge (and I could cite scores of others) were beheld by men and women engaged in the ordinary duties of life.  Students, barristers, novelists, lawyers, school-masters, school-mistresses, golfers—­to all of whom the topic was perfectly new—­have all exhibited the faculty.  It is curious that an Arabian author of the thirteenth century, Ibn Khaldoun, cited by M. Lefebure, offers the same account of how the visions appear as that given by Miss Angus in the Journal of the S.P.R., April 1898.  M. Lefebure’s citation was sent to me in a letter.

I append M. Lefebure’s quotation from Ibn Khaldoun.  The original is translated in ‘Notices et Extraits des MSS. de la Bibliotheque Imperiale,’ I. xix. p. 643-645.

’Ibn Kaldoun admet que certains hommes ont la faculte de deviner l’avenir.

’"Ceux, ajoute-t-il, qui regardent dans les corps diaphanes, tels que les miroirs, les cuvettes remplies d’eau et les liquides; ceux qui inspectent les coeurs, les foies et les os des animaux, ... tous ces gens-la appartiennent aussi a la categorie des devins, mais, a cause de l’imperfection de leur nature, ils y occupent un rang inferieur.  Pour ecarter le voile des sens, le vrai devin n’a pas besoin de grands efforts; quant aux autres, ils tachent d’arriver au but en essayant de concentrer en un seul sens toutes leurs perceptions.  Comme la vue est le sens le plus noble, ils lui donnent la preference; fixant leur regard sur on objet a superficie unie, ils le considerent avec attention jusqu’a ce qu’ils y apercoivent la chose qu’ils veulent annoncer.  Quelques personnes croient que l’image apercue de cette maniere se dessine sur la surface du miroir; mais ils se trompent.  Le devin regarde fixement cette surface jusqu’a ce qu’elle disparaisse et qu’un rideau, semblable a un brouillard, s’interpose entre lui et le miroir.  Sur ce rideau se dessinent les choses qu’il desira apercevoir, et cela lui permet de donner des indications soit affirmatives, soit negatives, sur ce que l’on desire savoir.  Il raconte alors les perceptions telles qu’il les recoit.  Les devins, pendant qu’ils