It often happens that mediums are ignorant and illiterate; and there is not any case on record where a medium, whether educated or uneducated, has been able to give an intelligible account of the way in which communications with disembodied souls become possible. As a general rule real mediums do not claim a greater knowledge of psychical phenomena than is possessed by the sitters themselves. They are aware that communications take place, and they find by actual experience that they themselves serve as intermediaries. Beyond this they do not seek to enquire; and they refrain from attempting in any way to control the proceedings. They are passive instruments in the hands of the powers from “the other side”; much as was the case, we read, with those persons who gave voice to the oracles of old. In view of these facts it seems to follow that the common practice of “testing” the mediums and putting constraint upon them is a mere waste of time and attention. If they be genuine they are, virtually, mere pieces of mechanism; and all that can be done usefully is to observe the working. If they be fraudulent this will quickly enough become self-evident. All that the sitter need do is to bring a little common sense to bear. It is a vexed question whether professional mediums are or are not banded together in a secret craft or guild for the purpose of collecting and interchanging information with regard to sitters and their families. The suggestion of such a combination apparently implies a doubt as to the good faith of mediums in general; but another interpretation is possible. It must be remembered that old laws are still in existence which forbid any exploitation of asserted psychical powers. These laws have produced a long series of “common informers,” who under various pretences arrange sittings with mediums for the purpose of entrapping them into breaches of the law, irrespective of whether the phenomena observed are or are not genuine. It would therefore be a very natural proceeding for mediums to co-operate for the object of self-protection. But as regards any attempts to “arrange” the communications the futility of such proceedings is obvious. Sitters turn up unexpectedly from all localities. They may or they may not give their right names and addresses. Where the _séance_ takes place at once there is not any opportunity of instituting any enquiry. And it is perfectly clear that a medium in any particular locality cannot keep in stock a mass of information with regard to private individuals in the rest of the country. The “sceptic,” or critic, therefore, who indulges in the belief that communications can be explained away by the theory that all mediums are dishonest, and have been at every sitting in previous possession of the information conveyed in the alleged utterances of the spirits, is very much more credulous than the most gullible sitter.