The Columbus journal., 1888-09-26

Heard In tAo 8ay0eo4-Ck3ckeeD end
Some animalt abhor music, at least
some music; but most animals love music
A COW likes nothing better than singing
and whistling, and her milk flows gladly
for q chap that viii sing to her. as she
turns her head and kisses him with her
tongue. A dog. 90 far Is I know. hates
music. except singing and whistling A
piano sets him ON edge. and . drum or fife
makes him howl Horses. I believe. love
martial music best. Every horse is nat
urally . war horse, and likes parade and
the dash of military life. Next 70 this
he Is In his element running with q
FIRE engine. know Of no decent music
that he disiikes. Cats. unlike dogs, like
pianos and organs. OF course. We un-
derstsnd that nearly al. birds have some
musical taste. although few have real
skill know Of but two real masters Of
song in our northern states. tho bobolink
and cstbird; although there are many
more really sweet singers. The liquid,
silvery notes Of the bobolink are like the
dew of the early. pure morning. One a.
the music Of silver instruments- But the
He Is able to do about what h0 will
But what led me to sit down to write
was tho music Of the insects-''tiny
take to suppoee the chief occupation Of
these dipteras and hymenopteras Is eating
and working-it Is making music. You
on o cock Of hay In the middle Of the day;
nd hosN In hA
will. II you give yourself to listening.
you must not be thinking Of other things.
the sweet hay. Therei Arc you not now
reaching far up into the skyf The upper
be-and there are millions of them. Then
ing bees, while In the trees and grass
there is fully Is vast number Of crickets,
katydids and other music makers. Now
you must open your ears as carefully as
you close your eyes. and listen attentively;
sounds close by you that you never heard
Is # not sol You are surprised. Indeed,
We live inside big music box: and you
never knew It.
Tho fact Is these musical notes blend
together about us In Q vast harmony,
that lulls our sense of hearing instead Of
Quickening it. I am sure our hearing
needs Q great deal more education than Il
generally gets. IF you try you can sep
arate the sounds that now you discover,
and pick out the different instruments in
the orchestra Plainly enough I was
right, that working and eating do not
predominate as employments of the insect
world. Here IL . cluster of humble or
humble bees, bent on sport, as you can
SEQ. Flies dance about In circles under
that apple limb. and are playing at some
game. quite like tag. There Is . very
soft and gentle mnrmur Of their wings,
hardly audible. They have no other
musical instruments, but am quite sure
they enjoy not only the motion. but the
sound. Crickets, however, are real Musi-
clans, using their wing covers as instru-
ments. When he wishes to pipe the
cricket raises these covers and moves
them together lengthwise. SO that they
work as boys oornstalk fiddle works.
confess the music is not sweet, but It is
better than Scottish bagpipe or q hurdy
gurdy. But the fun Of q cricketis music
Is in its element of ventriloquism
should like to sec you select one of these
fellows just now and 60 directly to him.
following up his music. You will 20 half
q dozen ways before you find him. Nearly
all the insects have this power. and 1t ie
no doubt used in self protection.
The handsome green katydid plays q,
instrument more like the sheepskin drums
Of the Africans, or Q primitive taboret.
In each wing cover there Is . triangular
space, over which Is situated o thin MEM
brane. The opening and shutting Of the
wing covers, more or less rapidly, pro-
duces the notes that sound like katy did.
Only once In awhile there is as distinct q
katy didn't: Perhaps both are true.
Ctickets and katydids Of both sexes are
and all night long are to be
heard calling and responding like tho
shepherd boys of eastern lands. The
cicadas are musical only in the male sex,
and that is quite enough; for If both sexes
could beat the kettle drums we should be
dinned deaf with the noise. On their
sides are membranes plated over each
other and covering hollows. These are
beaten with cords that relax and contract
as boys pull rubber bands In contact with
. resounding material These fellows
keep It up all day. however. and as they
arc abundant there Is no lack Of their
music. .-.
Ihave by no means recounted all tho
musical instruments one can hear at mid
day or of evenings In July or August.
Many Of the tiny bugs have power to
emit singing sounds. From the greatest
TO the least forms Of life there Is some
way Of expressing emotion So I like to
sit ON these hillocks of hay and listen
Just listen. It Is love that, after I'll. fills
nature and gives voice to it. Only when
love fails some harsh shrek indicates the
presence Of hate. Have I forgotten the
frog and the tree toadf By no means;
md you need not recall them with
sneer. A frog Is . gentleman every way.
md his music is far from being despicable.
In early spring it IL truly delightful to
hear the first cry from the pools. It is
hin and watery and full Of Inquiry. but
L means spring and green grass and
1owers.-Mary E. Spencer In Globe !
SLAUGHTER OF FOWLS.
Di6efeneo BetWeon Amateur and pS0- |
foaolOnal WO1k-Tho ChieoGo Way,