Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-01-21
ARE ANIMALS MUSICAL.
Wild Animals Enjoy Music More Than
Domesticated nuadrupeds.

Wild Animals Enjoy Music More Than
Domesticated 0uadrupeds.
1t is Il curious question, but are AMI
mails musical ? Decidedly they are,
answers Mr.. Frederick Whympcr who
contributes an interesting paper on the
question to the inimuis' GuarIiom. The
keeper of IL menagerie was once asked
whether the band had any effect on the
anmals 10 be sure it does, said he 4;
hey like it, and it does them good.
If You were to come in and look at them
in the morning. when the band is away
perambnlating the town, you would see
many of them, tho more savage bea ,ts
in particular, dull and moping, and
either sitting or lying in their dens.
We who travel with wild beasts can not,
n course, give them the room they ought
TO have; and, being crinbcd up in show
boxes, they degenerate for want of cx-
ercise, Ito what we will with them. But
It w"nld be very much worse, | reckon,
If 1t were not for the music. When
thev hear the band strike up, they
rouse themselves, and begin taking
what exercise they can, the beast of
prey by walking backwards and for
wards, and the others by repeating the
movements natural to them when at
liberty. The birds will begin to chat
i"r and plume themselves at the sound
md even the snakes, at times, will uncoil
and rear up, and convince the people,
who sometimes seem to doubt the fact,
that they are living creatures.
Dogs, as is well known, are often
Taught to dance to violin, pipe, or drum,
md even to grind barrcl-organs. Inthe
latter case they very properly look ex-
Irrmelv serious. But Il judicious dog
'inlS harmonium even more trying A
writer records IL case of dog-a cross
between n Scotch and Skye terrier
who would come close to Il harmonium
and evidently enjoy the music, up to a
certain point. But when shrii note
came from that instrument of torture,
he would point his nose in the air Mt an
n%lc of about forty degrees, and, stiff
'cning his body in a straight line from
5hc nostrlls to the tail, emit the same
aotc, IN Il manner which indicated his
h>plcasurc, and sustain it as long as did
The performer, That artist generally,
N fact, gave way first. Another dog
gave excellent service, it seems, in this
fashion a friend of the writer's whose
vocal efforts We're not calculated to in
+HIrr amy special respect for either his
:bl'ities or education, had an old dog,
!"ict, sedate, and sleepy, which could
'c reused to something approaching
fnrv when his masters performances
commenced III its presence. The cx-
.''r.,Sion " commenced is used advis.
,i'y, for tho se songs were never finished,
md. indeed, rarely got beyond the bar
;nI~ri against the bars of the cxccutant
y thu dismal howling of that intelli-
cent 4nadrnped. For executant' read
murderer. The family had an i'll
tense regard for that dog.
Cats, we are told, have little natural
liking for music; but the taste can he
acquired. A certain pet cat, though as
kitten indifferent to music, grew to
Ike it, and regularly led the way to the
piano when tea was over. Here she
took post on u chair, and listened
gravely during the whole performance
When it ceased, she would go to sleep,
though not if the instrument was left
opcn,in which case puss instantly leaped
IN the keys, and paved performance
of her own, in which she showed an en-
rene partiality for the treble notes, and
something like alarm at the lower bass
hotes whel she happened to give them
IN extra vigorous kick