THE MOUSE. 235 



couched itself on the floor, shut its eyes, and appeared 

 in ecstacy. I ceased playing, and it instantly dis- 

 appeared again. This experiment I repeated fre- 

 quently with the same success, observing that it was 

 always differently affected, as the music varied from the 

 slow and plaintive to the brisk and lively. It finally 

 went off, and all my art could not entice it to return." 



A similar occurrence may also be mentioned. As on 

 a winter's evening, at the close of 1817, a few officers 

 on board a British man-of-war in Portsmouth harbour, 

 were seated round the fire, one of them began to play a 

 plaintive air on the violin. He had scarcely done so 

 ten minutes, when a mouse, apparently frantic, made its 

 appearance in the centre of the floor. Its strange ges- 

 tures strongly excited the attention of the officers, who 

 resolved that it should continue its singular movements 

 unmolested. Its exertions now appeared greatly to in- 

 crease ; it shook its head, leaped about the table, and 

 showed signs of the highest delight. In proportion to 

 the gradation of the tones to the soft point, the feelings 

 of the animal were observed to increase, while they 

 declined when the contrary was the case. After per- 

 forming actions of which, at first sight, it would seem 

 incapable, the little creature suddenly paused, fell down, 

 and expired without showing any symptoms of pain. 



