THE CHOICE OF INSTRUMENTS 
i37 
deserted by the few visitors who were in the Gardens, 
and the opportunity of making trial of the musical 
preferences of its inmates was too good to be lost. 
The violin-player approached a sleeping tiger, which 
was lying on its side with its feet stretched and touch- 
ing the bars, and played so softly that the opening 
notes were scarcely audible. As the sound rose, the 
tiger awoke, and, raising its head without moving its 
body, looked for some time with fixed attention at the 
player. It remained for some time in a very fine 
attitude listening to the music, and then making the 
curious sound which, in tiger language, does duty 
for “ purring,” it lay down again and dozed. The 
soft music still continued, as we were engaged in 
watching a cheetah, which showed great uneasiness and 
fear at the sounds, making sudden starts and bounds, 
raising the fur on its neck, and waving its tail from 
side to side like an angry cat. But whatever the 
cheetah’s emotions of dislike, the tiger did not share 
them, but lay half or wholly asleep, as if the chords 
which were being played made an agreeable lullaby. 
Judge, then, of our surprise, when, at the first notes 
of the piccolo, which succeeded the violin, the tiger 
sprang to its feet and rushed up and down the cage, 
shaking its head and ears, and lashing its tail from 
side to side. As the notes became still louder and 
more piercing, the tiger bounded across the den, 
reared on its hind feet, and exhibited the most ludicrous 
contrast to the calm dignity and repose with which it 
had listened to the violin. Then came the final and 
