, 1880-05-31
Musical Taste in Animals.

to my father in the south of England.
He had very pretty garden and lawn,
and it was his delight in the evening
to sit at his drawing-room WINDOW
while I played on the pianoand sang 10
him. One evening he said to me-
"My dear, here is toad under the
window. It has been here for a long
time without moving. 1 believe 1t is
listening to your singing"
When ceased playing the toad crept
slowly away; but every evening when 1
sang, the creature came, took Its place
under the window and there remained.
One evening, at my fathers request, 1
suddenly stopped the music, and in few
minutes it went off. We watched it
until it reached the path; when, COM
mencing another song, it stopped,
listened, and then slowly returned to its
place under the window. After | left
and went home there was no more music.
The toad was never seen again.
Some years previous to my marriage,
nv father lived in an old hall in the
neigh ghborhood Of one of our large towns.
The grounds were extensive. 1t was
his delight to have sort of model farm,
studying the different characters of
the various animals upon it. Then /
saw the influence of music upon many
of them. A beautiful horse. the pride
of US all. had an unconquerable dislike
to he caught. My father had so trained
him to obedience that he gave very
little annoyance; whistle and q wave
of the hand, and Robert would come
quietly to be saddled. But left to our
| old gardener, Willy, he would lead
him chase, generally ending in defeat.
One very hot summer day l was sitting
at work in the garden, when Willy ap-
peared. steaming with perspiration.
'What is the matter, Willy 2"
"Matter enough, miss. There's that
r obert, the uncanny beast; he won't
! be caught, all can say or do. I've
give him corn, and one of the best
pears off the tree, but he's too deep for
me--he snatched the pear, kicked up
his heels, and off he is, laughing at me
at the bottom of the meadow"
!. was very sorry for the cid man,
| but did not clearly see how to catch
the delinquent. could believe very
readily he was laughing at our old
friend, for he was curious animal.
"Well, Willy, what can I do? He
won't let me catch him, you know"
"Ah, but miss, if you will only just
go in and begin toon on the peanner,
cook says he will come up to the fence
and hearken to you, for he is always a
doing that, and may be I can slip behind
and catch him"
I T Of I'm n n
my stratagem to succeed. But in a few
minutes the saucy creature stood by
the fence quietly listening while l was
playing. che halter was soon around
his neck, and he went away to be har-
messed, quite contented and happy.
There was great pecnliarity about
his taste for music. He never would
stay to listen to plaintive song. I
soon observed this. II I played ''Scots
| Wha Haze, he would listen we'll pleased.
If changed the measure and express
sion, playing the same air plaintively,
as, for instance, In the ''Land O. the
Leal," he would toss his head and walk
away, as if to say, 'That is not my sort
of music" Changing back to some
thing martial, he would return and
listen to me.
In this respect he entirely differed
from beautiful COW we had. She had
an awful temper. Old Willy used to
say she was "the most contrariest beast
under the SUM-" If she was in one of
her i'll humors, it was with the great
est difficulty she could be MIXED.
She never would go with the other
COWS at milking time. Nancy be
MIXED with them! that was thing not
to be thought of. She liked the cook; /;
and when cook was not too busy, cook
would manage her; but if she wese not
very careful, up would go Nancy's foot,
and over would go the milk-pail. When
the cook MIXED her it was always close
to the fence near the drawing-room. If
[ were playing, she would stand perfect
ly still antll ceased. AS long as I
played plaintive music, she seemed en-
tranced; but when changed to martial
music she would Invariably walk way.
could give many instances of a love
of music in animals. I will give
another: vas in the drawing room
one evening singing to my mother. It
was double room with folding doors.
She was in one where there was lamp.
In my room, which was unlighted, the
window was open, and close to the
window was stand for music. When 1
ceased playing I heard a peculiar
sound, and was conscious there was
something in the room. 1 called for a
light. There, sitting on the stand was
large white owl. He looked far less
surprised than we did. He had been
enticed in there by the music. In a
minute or two he stepped quietly out
of the window and flew away. After
this we did not leave The lower
sash of the window open, but the owl