The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1893-02-02
MICE SOMETIMES SING.
The Gifted Rodents Marble with Their
Noses, Not Their Threats.

A four-footed creature that sings Is
certainly curious enough to have Its
existence doubted, and many people
do not believe that such thing as a
singing mouse has ever been seen; or,
more correctly speaking, heard. 1t
has, though, and in a certain house
beloved of mice generally, what sound
ed like the voice of very small bird
was often heard in the wall, says the
n. Y. Journal.
A trap was set for the uproarious
ones that kept up constant squeak
ing and gnawing, besides nibblIng
every Wand they could possibly get
at; and one night the dainty bits OF
cheese lured into captivity mouse
that looked like other mice and acted
like wren. Such a quivering, must
cal little MARBLE could scarcely come
from any other throat than that Of the
tiny bird.
But it was soon proved beyond
doubt that mouse did it himself, and
that he must be the very singer who
gave the mysterious wall concerts, SO
the next thing was to make him
cage. 1t was quite an uncommon one,
as uncommon as he was himself-a
glass globe covered with netting. A
warm nest was arranged in it, and the
curious little performer took very
kindly to his luxurious quarters. de
had, of course, the best cheese to nib
Bile at, and he evidently considered
himself in clover. He put on airs, too,
and seemed to know when he was be-
ing watched.
At such times he would raise himself
up, and try with all his might and
main to act like a canary. Sometimes
he would hold up one paw, and then
sending forth such loud notes that it
was almost startling to hear him.
But an easy life did not seem to
agree with the amusing little rodent,
and possibly he pinned for the home in
the wall, with its boundless freedom,
! where he may have left Ibis young
barbarians at play" In a few days he
died without any apparent cause, and
the experiment of caging singing
mouse was altogether unsuccessful.
Other four-footed warblers have
been kept in good condition for a
much longer time, giving abundant
opportunity to make some very inter-
esting discoveries in regard to their
musical organs. They do not, it APP
pears, sing with their Threats like
other songsters, but with their noses.
Their vocal chords are vibrating folds
of the skin at the outlet of each nos
tril, and the performer can vary the
tone from high to low by using more
or less force in e1pelling the air. When
quite by himself, the sound produced
by the singer resembles that of an
Eolian harp; but in a cage, when the
small prisoner is often singing for eff
feet, the notes are much bolder.
A cat purrs very much in the same
way as mouse sings. and both are
signs of comfort and satisfaction. But
the mouse's song, unlike that of the
cat, has given rise to many absurd
superstitions, and houses have ac-
quired the bad reputation of being
haunted because of singing mice in
the walls.
The soft wailing sound which the
song then assumes is said TO come
from the uneasy spirits of those who
have been murdered; and the servants
who are frightened by the singing
mouse could never be made to believe
that the continual picking and steal
ing from the pantry are done other
than by the singer himself and his
near relatives. For although it seems
ss if SO gifted creature should be
above such night marauding, he is
really no better than his commonplace
companions.