124 . The American Naturalist. [February,. 
incident above given says: “ By-the-by, I don’t know whether 
‘Rode’s Air’ is a lively or plaintive tune, but only one of the 
latter kind affected my poor old ‘ Brownie.’ I used as a rule to 
whistle the ‘Last Rose of Summer,’ when I wished her to per- 
form. I never could satisfy myself as to her motive in putting 
her mouth to mine. The most feasible conjecture that I was. 
able to make seemed to be that she imagined me to be in pain, 
and in some way tried either to soothe me, or to stop my 
whistling.” 
F.C. R., of Gwasted, in commenting on one of the instances 
above related say: “We too have a cat which is very sensible of 
the whistling of tunes, and which will, even when with her young 
kittens, show great uneasiness immediately after the whistling 
commences, and rise and leave them to follow the person about, 
ending by trying to seek for the unaccountable sounds in the very 
mouth of the performer. Still, unlike the cat of ‘ Musicus,’ she 
seems to experience more uneasiness than pleasure.” 
Then follows E. J. T., who says: I can give another instance 
from personal knowledge. A few years ago my brother had a 
favorite cat, which, when he whistled a tune, would follow him 
round the room, and climbing up on him would touch his mouth 
with her paw, and rub her head against his face, all the time pur- 
ring with pleasure. I may add that this musical taste is uot he- 
reditary, for a grandchild of this cat, now in our possession, 
shows the greatest antipathy to music; a few notes on the piano 
or concertina are enough to rouse her from her slumbers on the 
hearth-rug, and drive her to the door, mewing loudly to be 
let out.” 
Another illustration is furnished by Mr. Oborn, relating to 
the power of music on English cats. He writes: 
“I have a cat that has apparently great fondness for music. 
Whenever any of the family or a stranger commences playing on 
the piano, and if the tune is at all lively, she fondles and purrs 
and evinces the greatest pleasure imaginable, and sometimes be- 
comes so excited that she will jump on to the keys and rub her- 
self against the hands of the person playing.” 
