THE EFFECTS OF MUSICAL SOUNDS ON ANIMALS. 171 



of birds, made a great pet of it. The Pigeon, by being con- 

 stantly in its master's company, obtained so perfect an ear for 

 music that no one who saw his behaviour could doubt for a 

 moment the pleasure it took in hearing its master play and 

 sing." 



The Eev. Mr. James also furnished us [in 1884] with the 

 following : — " I have a Canary of the feminine persuasion who 

 is particularly fond of music. Immediately I begin to play upon 

 the flute she chirps about as if enjoying the music. If I open 

 the cage-door and leave her she will come as near to me as 

 possible, but not attempt to fly to the music ; but if I put her 

 upon my desk, and lay the flute down, she will perch upon the 

 end, and allow me to raise the instrument and play. I often 

 take her into the church and play there upon the organ, and she 

 will perch upon my fingers, notwithstanding the inconvenience 

 of the motion of the hands, and chirp in evident delight at the 

 sweet sounds." 



Hares. — Following in the train of the domestic animals, the 

 Hare furnishes an intermediate link between the same and the 

 true ferce nature?. One Sunday evening five choristers were 

 walking on the banks of the Eiver Mersey, in England. Being 

 somewhat tired, they sat down and began to sing an anthem. 

 The field where they sat had a wood at its termination. While 

 they were singing a Hare issued from this wood, came with 

 rapidity toward the place where they were sitting, and made a 

 dead stand in the open field. She seemed to enjoy the harmony 

 of the music and turned her head frequently, as if listening. 

 When they stopped she turned slowly toward the wood. When 

 she had nearly reached the end of the field they again com- 

 menced an anthem, at which the Hare turned around and ran 

 swiftly back to within the same distance as before, where she 

 listened with apparent rapture till they had finished. She then 

 bent her way toward the forest with a slow pace, and disap- 

 peared." [The authority for this story is not given.] 



Seals. — Mr. Laing, in his ' Account of a Voyage to Spitz- 

 bergen' [8vo, 1815], mentions that the son of the master of the 

 vessel in which he sailed, who was fond of playing on the violin, 

 never failed to have a numerous auditory when in the seas 

 frequented by Seals, and they have been seen to follow a ship 

 for miles when any person was playing on deck. 



02 



