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； in his book on 〃Sea Currents；〃 and has been previously cited by the Revue Scientifique。
The frigate； the Belle Poule； was cruising in the open sea for the purpose of finding the cruiser Le Berceau； from which she had been separated by a violent storm。 It was broad daylight and in full sunshine。 Suddenly the watch signalled a disabled vessel； the crew looked in the direction signalled； and every one； officers and sailors； clearly perceived a raft covered with men towed by boats which were displaying signals of distress。 Yet this was nothing more than a collective hallucination。 Admiral Desfosses lowered a boat to go to the rescue of the wrecked sailors。 On nearing the object sighted； the sailors and officers on board the boat saw 〃masses of men in motion； stretching out their hands； and heard the dull and confused noise of a great number of voices。〃 When the object was reached those in the boat found themselves simply and solely in the presence of a few branches of trees covered with leaves that had been swept out from the neighbouring coast。 Before evidence so palpable the hallucination vanished。
The mechanism of a collective hallucination of the kind we have explained is clearly seen at work in this example。 On the one hand we have a crowd in a state of expectant attention； on the other a suggestion made by the watch signalling a disabled vessel at sea； a suggestion which； by a process of contagion； was accepted by all those present； both officers and sailors。
It is not necessary that a crowd should be numerous for the faculty of seeing what is taking place before its eyes to be destroyed and for the real facts to be replaced by hallucinations unrelated to them。 As soon as a few individuals are gathered together they constitute a crowd； and； though they should be distinguished men of learning； they assume all the characteristics of crowds with regard to matters outside their speciality。 The faculty of observation and the critical spirit possessed by each of them individually at once disappears。 An ingenious psychologist； Mr。 Davey； supplies us with a very curious example in point； recently cited in the Annales des Sciences Psychiques； and deserving of relation here。 Mr。 Davey； having convoked a gathering of distinguished observers； among them one of the most prominent of English scientific men； Mr。 Wallace； executed in their presence； and after having allowed them to examine the objects and to place seals where they wished； all the regulation spiritualistic phenomena； the materialisation of spirits； writing on slates； &c。 Having subsequently obtained from these distinguished observers written reports admitting that the phenomena observed could only have been obtained by supernatural means； he revealed to them that they were the result of very simple tricks。 〃The most astonishing feature of Monsieur Davey's investigation；〃 writes the author of this account； 〃is not the marvellousness of the tricks themselves； but the extreme weakness of the reports made with respect to them by the noninitiated witnesses。 It is clear； then；〃 he says； 〃that witnesses even in number may give circumstantial relations which are completely erroneous； but whose result is THAT； IF THEIR DESCRIPTIONS ARE ACCEPTED AS EXACT； the phenomena they describe are inexplicable by trickery。 The methods invented by Mr。 Davey were so simple that one is astonished that he should have had the boldness to employ them； but he had such a power over the mind of the crowd that he could persuade it that it saw what it did not see。〃 Here； as always； we have the power of the hypnotiser over the hypnotised。 Moreover； when this power is seen in action on minds of a superior order and previously invited to be suspicious； it is understandable how easy it is to deceive ordinary crowds。
Analogous examples are innumerable。 As I write these lines the papers are full of the story of two little girls found drowned in the Seine。 These children； to begin with； were recognised in the most unmistakable manner by half a dozen witnesses。 All the affirmations were in such entire concordance that no doubt remained in the mind of the juge d'instruction。 He had the certificate of death drawn up； but just as the burial of the children was to have been proceeded with； a mere chance brought about the discovery that the supposed victims were alive； and had； moreover； but a remote resemblance to the drowned girls。 As in several of the examples previously cited； the affirmation of the first witness； himself a victim of illusion； had sufficed to influence the other witnesses。
In parallel cases the starting…point of the suggestion is always the illusion produced in an individual by more or less vague reminiscences； contagion following as the result of the affirmation of this initial illusion。 If the first observer be very impressionable； it will often be sufficient that the corpse he believes he recognises should present apart from all real resemblancesome peculiarity； a scar； or some detail of toilet which may evoke the idea of another person。 The idea evoked may then become the nucleus of a sort of crystallisation which invades the understanding and paralyses all critical faculty。 What the observer then sees is no longer the object itself； but the image evoked in his mind。 In this way are to be explained erroneous recognitions of the dead bodies of children by their own mother； as occurred in the following case； already old； but which has been recently recalled by the newspapers。 In it are to be traced precisely the two kinds of suggestion of which I have just pointed out the mechanism。
〃The child was recognised by another child； who was mistaken。 The series of unwarranted recognitions then began。
〃An extraordinary thing occurred。 The day after a schoolboy had recognised the corpse a woman exclaimed； ‘Good Heavens； it is my child！'
〃She was taken up to the corpse； she examined the clothing； and noted a scar on the forehead。 ‘It is certainly；' she said； ‘my son who disappeared last July。 He has been stolen from me and murdered。'
〃The woman was concierge in the Rue du Four； her name was Chavandret。 Her brother…in…law was summoned； and when questioned he said； ‘That is the little Filibert。' Several persons living in the street recognised the child found at La Villette as Filibert Chavandret； among them being the boy's schoolmaster； who based his opinion on a medal worn by the lad。
〃Nevertheless； the neighbours； the brother…in…law； the schoolmaster； and the mother were mistaken。 Six weeks later the identity of the child was established。 The boy； belonging to Bordeaux； had been murdered there and brought by a carrying company to Paris。〃＇4＇
＇4＇ L'Eclair； April 21； 1895。
It will be remarked that these recognitions are most often made by women and childrenthat is to say； by precisely the most impressionable persons。 They show us at the same time what is the worth in law courts of such witnesses。 As far as children； more especially； are concerned； their statements ought never to be invoked。 Magistrates are in the habit of repeating that children do not lie。 Did they possess a psychological culture a little less rudimentary than is