ANIMALS AND MUSIC. 
NE of our poets is authority 
for the statement that 
"music hath power to sooth 
the savage breast," but ex- 
periments have recently 
been made in Lincoln Park, Chicago, 
The American Naturalist tells us, to 
determine with scientific accuracy the 
effects of violin playing on certain 
animals. 
" Music which was slow and sweet, 
like ' Home, Sweet Home ' or 'Annie 
Laurie,' pleased the Panthers, a Jaguar, 
and a Lioness with her cubs. , The 
Panthers became nervous and twitched 
their tails when a lively jig, 'The Irish 
Washerwoman,' was played to them, 
and relapsed into their former quiet 
when the music again became sooth- 
ing. 
" The Jaguar was so nervous during 
the jig music that he jumped from a 
shelf to the floor of his cage and back 
again. When the player ceased play- 
ing and walked away, the Jaguar 
reached out his paw to him as far as 
he could. His claws were drawn back. 
"The Lioness and her cubs were 
interested from the first, though when 
the violinist approached the cage the 
mother gave a hiss, and the cubs hid 
behind her. At the playing of a lively 
jig, the cubs stood up on their hind 
legs and peeped over at the player. 
When the musician retreated from the 
cage, the animals came to the front of 
it and did not move back when he 
gradually drew so near as almost to 
touch the great paws which were 
thrust through the bars. When play- 
ing 'Home, Sweet Home,' the entire 
family seemed very attentive, and 
were motionless except that the cubs 
turned their heads from side to side. 
Then another jig was played and the 
cubs pranced about." 
" The Coyotes in a den, squatted in 
a semicircle, and sat silently while the 
music continued. When it ceased, 
they ran up and pawed at the player 
through the bars. He began afresh, 
and they again formed in a silent semi- 
circle. This experiment was tried 
several times with the same results." 
Of late years the Sea Gulls have 
found it so much to their interest to 
come up to the Thames in our midst 
that their graceful evolutions around 
the crowded bridges in ever growing 
flocks has almost ceased to excite 
notice. But this year, as never before, 
they have descended upon the water 
of St. James Park in such great num- 
bers that their presence must consid- 
erably exercise the minds of those 
responsible for the welfare of the other 
wild fowl there. They may be seen 
sometimes resting upon the surface of 
the eastern half of the lake in sufficient 
number almost to hide the water. 
And at the lnncheon hour, when re- 
leased workers throng bank and bridge, 
bestowing upon the water the scanty 
fragments of their frugal meals, the 
gulls, on ready wing, with an agility 
born of long practice over stormy seas, 
give the clumsier Ducks and Geese 
hard work to obtain even a small 
share of what is going. Not so long 
ago a piece of plain bread might often 
float uneaten until it sank waterlogged 
for the benefit of the fish. It is so no 
longer. No crumb now goes a-beg- 
ging or is scouted by any of the old 
habitues as beneath their notice. — 
, London Paper. 
