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incerity； her fairness and her scientific precision are above suspicion； and she is one of the most active and respected members of the Society for Psychical Research。
On the 11th of May； 1901； at 11。10 p。m。； Mrs。 Verrall wrote as follows：
〃Do not hurry date this hoc est quod voluitandem。 ｛greek here｝ A。 W。 V。 ｛greek here｝。 calx pedibus inhaerens difficultatem superavit。 magnopere adiuvas persectando semper。 Nomen inscribere iam possumsic； en tibi！〃＇1＇
＇1＇ Xenoglossy is well known not to be unusual in automatic writing； sometimes even the 'automatist' speaks or writes languages of which he is completely ignorant。 The Latin and Greek passages are translated as follows：
〃This is what I have wanted at last。 Justice and joy speak a word to the wise。 A。W。V。 and perhaps someone else。 Chalk sticking to the feet has got over the difficulty。 You help greatly by always persevering。 Now I can write a namethus； here it is！〃
After the writing comes a humorous drawing representing a bird walking。
That same night； as there were said to be 〃uncanny happenings〃 in some rooms near the London Law Courts； the watchers arranged to sit through the night in the empty rooms。 Precautions were taken to prevent intrusion and powdered chalk was spread on the floor of the two smaller rooms； 〃to trace anybody or anything that might come or go。〃 Mrs。 Verrall knew nothing of the matter。 The phenomena began at 12：43 A。M。 and ended at 2：09 A。M。 The watchers noticed marks on the powdered chalk。 On examination it was seen that the marks were 〃clearly defined bird's footprints in the middle of the floor； three in the left…hand room and five in the right…hand room。〃 The marks were identical and exactly 2 3/4 inches in width； they might be compared to the footprints of a bird about the size of a turkey。 The footprints were observed at 2：30 A。 M。； the unexplained phenomena had begun at 12：43 that same morning。 The words about 〃chalk sticking to the feet〃 are a singularly appropriate comment on the events； but the remarkable point is that Mrs。 Verrall wrote what we have said ONE HOUR AND THIRTY…THREE MINUTES BEFORE THE EVENTS TOOK PLACE。
The persons who watched in the two rooms were questioned by Mr。 J。 G。 Piddington； a member of the council of the S。 P。 R。； and declared that they had not any expectation of what they discovered。
I need hardly add that Mrs。 Verrall had never heard anything about the happenings in the haunted house and that the watchers were completely ignorant of Mrs。 Verrall's existence。
Here then is a wry curious prediction of an event； insignificant in itself； which is to happen； in a house unknown to the one who foretells it； to people whom she does not know either。 The spiritualists； who score in this case； not without some reason； will have it that a spirit； in order to prove its existence and its intelligence； organized this little scene in which the future； the present and the past are all mixed up together。 Are they right？ Or is Mrs。 Verrall's subconsciousness roaming like this； at random； in the future？ It is certain that the problem has seldom appeared under a more baffling aspect。
6
We will now take another premonitory dream； strictly controlled by the committee of the S。 P。 R。＇1＇ Early in September； 1893； Annette； wife of Walter Jones； tobacconist； of Old Gravel Lane； East London； had her little boy ill。 One night she dreamt that she saw a cart drive up and stop near when she was。 It contained three coffins； 〃two white and one blue。 One white coffin was bigger than the other； and the blue was the biggest of the three。〃 The driver took out the bigger white coffin and left it at the mother's feet； driving off with the others。 Mrs。 Jones told her dream to her husband and to a neighbour； laying particular stress on the curious circumstance that one of the coffins was blue。
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xi。； p。 493。
On the 10th of September； a friend of Mr。 and Mrs。 Jones was confined of a boy； who died on the 29th of the same month。 Their own little boy died on the following Monday； the 2nd of October； being then sixteen months old。 It was decided to bury the two children on the same day。 On the morning of the day chosen； the parish priest informed Mr。 and Mrs。 Jones that another child had died in the neighbourhood and that its body would be brought into church along with the two others。 Mrs。 Jones remarked to her husband：
〃If the coffin is blue； then my dream will come true。 For the two other coffins were white。〃
The third coffin was brought； it was blue。 It remains to be observed that the dimensions of the coffins corresponded exactly with the dream premonitions； the smallest being that of the child who died first； the next that of the little Jones boy； who was sixteen months old； and the largest； the blue one； that of a boy six years of age。
Let us take； more or less at random； another case from the inexhaustible Proceedings。＇1＇ The report is written by Mr。 Alfred Cooper and attested by the Duchess of Hamilton； the Duke of Manchester and another gentleman to whom the duchess related the incident before the fulfilment of the prophetic vision：
＇1＇ Proceedings； vol。 xi。； p。 505。
〃A fortnight before the death of the late Earl of L。；〃 says Mr。 Cooper； 〃in 1882； I called upon the Duke of Hamilton； in Hill Street； to see him professionally。 After I had finished seeing him； we went into the drawing…room where the duchess was； and the duke said to me：
〃'Oh； Cooper； how is the earl？'
〃The duchess said； 'What earl？' and； on my answering； 'Lord L；' she replied：
〃'That is very odd。 I have had a most extraordinary vision。 I went to bed； but； after being in bed a short time； I was not exactly asleep； but thought I saw a scene as if from a play before me。 The actors in it were Lord L； in a chair； as if in a fit； with a man standing near him with a red beard。 He was by the side of a bath； over which bath a red lamp was distinctly shown。'
〃I then said：
〃'I am attending Lord L at present； there is very little the matter with him； he is not going to die； he will be all right very soon。'
〃Well； he got better for a week and was nearly well； but； at the end of six or seven days after this； I was called to see him suddenly。 He had inflammation of both lungs。
〃I called in Sir William Jenner； but in six days he was a dead man。 There were two male nurses attending on him； one had been taken ill。 But； when I saw the other； the dream of the duchess was exactly represented。 He was standing near a bath over the earl and； strange to say； his beard was red。 There was the bath with the red lamp over it； and this brought the story to my mind。
〃The vision seen by the duchess was told two weeks before the death of Lord L。 It is a most remarkable thing。〃
7
But it is impossible to find space for the many instances related。 As I have said； there are hundreds of them； making their tracks in every direction across the plains of the future。 Those which I have quoted give a sufficient idea of the predominating tone and the general aspect of this sort of story。 It is nevertheless right to add that many of them are not at all tragic and that premonition opens its mysterious and capricious vistas of the