Chap. XIX. Man—Musical Powers. 569 



in a previous chapter, similiar observations have been made 

 on the hairs of the antennse of gnats. It has been positively 

 asserted by good observers that spiders are attracted by music, 

 [t is also well known that some dogs howl when hearing par- 

 ticular tones."' Seals apparently appreciate music, and their 

 fondnoss for it "was well known to the ancients, and is often 

 '' taken advantage of by the hunters at the present day." '* 



Therefore, as far as the mere perception of musical notes is 

 concerned, there seems no special difSculty in the case of man 

 or of any other animal. Helmholtz has explained on physio- 

 logical principles why concords are agreeable, and discords dis- 

 agreeable to the human ear ; but we are Mttle concerned with 

 these, as music in harmony is a late invention. .We are more con- 

 cerned with melody, and here again, according to Helmholtz, it is 

 intelligible why the notes of our musical scale are used. The 

 ear analyses all sounds into their component " simple vibrations," 

 although we are not conscious of this analysis. In a musical 

 note the lowest in pitch of these is generally predominant, and 

 the others which are less marked are the octave, the twelfth, 

 the second octave, &c., all harmonies of the fundamental pre- 

 dominant note ; any two notes of our scale have many of these 

 harmonic over-tones in common. It seems pretty clear then, 

 that if an animal always wished to sing precisely the same song, 

 he would guide himself by sounding those notes in succession, 

 which possess many over-tones in common — that is, he would 

 choose for his song, notes which belong to our musical scale. 



But if it be further asked why musical tones in a certain 

 order and rhythm give man and other animals pleasure, we 

 can no more give the reason than for the pleasantness of certain 

 tastes and smells That they do give pleasure of some kind to 

 animals, we may infer from their being produced during the 

 season of courtship by many insects, spiders, fishes, amphibians, 

 and birds ; for unless the females were able to appreciate such 

 sounds and were excited or charmed by them, the persevering 

 efforts of the males, and the complex structures often possessed 

 by them alone, would be useless ; and this it is impossible to 

 believe. 



Human song is generally admitted to be the basis or origin 

 of instrumental music. As neither the enjoyment nor the 

 eapaeity of producing musical notes are faculties of the least 



<" Several accounts have been another instance of a dog always 



jmblished to this effect. Mr. Peach whining, when one note on a con- 



wi-ites to me that he has rej-ieatedly certina, which was out of tune, waa 



fcand that an old dog of his howls played. 



vheu B fliit is sounded on the iiute, ''* Mr. R. Brown, in ' Proc. ZooL 



ujd to no other note. 1 may aJd fcoc' 1868, ji. 410. 



