As preliminary to their special work the members of the experimental group were tested in regard to the promptness and regularity of their reactions (by finger flexion) in accompanying a periodically recurrent stimulus given by the beating of a metronome; records were taken also of their capacity to estimate and maintain constant time relations by freely tapping at intervals of one, two and five seconds.  Of the latter type of reaction the records show that a temporal grouping of the reactions is presented in every rate of tapping.  This, owing to the large absolute intervals, is uniformly in groups of two, the first member of which is of shorter, the second of longer duration.  There is likewise an intensive differentiation of the alternate reactions.  Thus a double rhythmical treatment appears, but while with intervals of two seconds the phases of temporal and intensive rhythm coincide, at rates of one and five seconds they are opposed, that is, the accentuation falls on the initial reaction which is followed by the shorter interval.  This doubtlessly marks the emergence of that tendency to initial accentuation which was subsequently found to prevail in all expression of rhythm.

The types of reaction which these records afford leave no doubt that a fuller investigation of the matter would show the constant presence, in all such forms of activity, of a rhythmical automatization of the series.  The special problems which such an investigation should first resolve, relate to the dependence of the amount of rhythmical differentiation on the rate of succession among the reactions; the relation of the form of this reaction series to factors of attention and control; and the significance, in connection with the process of rhythmization, of auditory stimuli produced by and accompanying the reaction series, that is, the comparison of soundless and sounded reactions.

In the second set of experiments the reactor was directed simply to accompany the beating of a metronome by a light tapping with the forefinger on a rubber-surfaced tambour connected with a pneumographic registering pen, with which was aligned an electrical time-marker also actuated by the metronome.  Three rates of tapping were adopted, 60, 90 and 120 beats per minute.  No specific instructions were given as to direction or keenness of attention on the part of the reactor; the most natural and simple accompaniment was desired.  Occasionally, for comparison, the reactor was directed to attend closely to each successive beat as it occurred.

Certain questions as to the applicability of the material here interpreted to the point in question, and as to its relation to the objective conditions of experimentation, must be met at the outset.  The first of these is as to the actual uniformity of the metronome series.  Objective determination of its temporal regularity is unnecessary (in so far as such a determination looks toward an explanation of the form of tapping