ANIMALS AND MUSIC. 



NE of our poets is authority 

 for the statement that 

 "music hath power to sooth 

 the savage breast," but ex- 

 periments have recently 

 been made in Lincoln Park, Chicago, 

 The American Naturalist tells us, to 

 determine with scientific accuracy the 

 effects of violin playing on certain 

 animals. 



" Music which was slow and sweet, 

 like ' Home, Sweet Home ' or 'Annie 

 Laurie,' pleased the Panthers, a Jaguar, 

 and a Lioness with her cubs. The 

 Panthers became nervous and twitched 

 their tails when a lively jig, 'The Irish 

 Washerwoman,' was played to them, 

 and relapsed into their former quiet 

 when the music again became sooth- 

 ing. 



" The Jaguar was so nervous during 

 the jig music that he jumped from a 

 shelf to the floor of his cage and back 

 again. When the player ceased play- 

 ing and walked away, the Jaguar 

 reached out his paw to him as far as 

 he could. His claws were drawn back. 



"The Lioness and her cubs were 

 interested from the first, though when 

 the violinist approached the cage the 

 mother gave a hiss, and the cubs hid 

 behind her. At the playing of a lively 

 jig, the cubs stood up on their hind 

 legs and peeped over at the player. 

 When the musician retreated from the 

 cage, the animals came to the front of 

 it and did not move back when he 

 gradually drew so near as almost to 

 touch the great paws which were 

 thrust through the bars. When play- 

 ing 'Home, Sweet Home,' the entire 

 family seemed very attentive, and 

 were motionless except that the cubs 

 turned their heads from side to side. 

 Then another jig was played and the 

 cubs pranced about." 



" The Coyotes in a den, squatted in 

 a semicircle, and sat silently while the 

 music continued. When it ceased, 

 they ran up and pawed at the player 

 through the bars. He began afresh, 

 and they again formed in a silent semi- 

 circle. This experiment was tried 

 several times with the same results." 



Of late years the Sea Gulls have 

 found it so much to their interest to 

 come up to the Thames in our midst 

 that their graceful evolutions around 

 the crowded bridges in ever growing 

 flocks has almost ceased to excite 

 notice. But this year, as never before, 

 they have descended upon the water 

 of St. James Park in such great num- 

 bers that their presence must consid- 

 erably exercise the minds of those 

 responsible for the welfare of the other 

 wild fowl there. They may be seen 

 sometimes resting upon the surface of 

 the eastern half of the lake in sufficient 

 number almost to hide the water. 



And at the Inncheon hour, when re- 

 leased workers throng bank and bridge, 

 bestownng upon the water the scanty 

 fragments of their frugal meals, the 

 gulls, on ready wing, with an agility 

 born of long practice over stormy seas, 

 give the clumsier Ducks and Geese 

 hard work to obtain even a small 

 share of what is going. Not so long 

 ago a piece of plain bread might often 

 float uneaten until it sank waterlogged 

 for the benefit of the fish. It is so no 

 longer. No crumb now goes a-beg- 

 ging or is scouted by any of the old 

 habitues as beneath their notice. — 



London Paper. 



159 



