The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-03-27
MUSIC FOR THE ANIMALS
EFFEoT or 4 FIDDLE'S NOTEIN THE
CHICIGO roo.

now various MINUS OF MUSIC AHecteu the
Various Animais-Cradle Airs for the
Lions-Hyenns Frightened-The Jaguar
rus.
If the wild animals of the Lincoln
Park zoo should attend the grand OPP
era they would not talk in the boxes.
They love music, and they showed one
day last week they love it sincerely by
listening with rapt attention to the
softer strains of a violin played by Pro-
fessor Frank C. Baker, curator of the
Academy of Sciences, and by applaud
ing vigorously when he rendered the
lively and more catchy airs. The ex-'
pertinent was a success beyond all eX-
pectations in showing that the animals
possess a keen appreciation of music,
and more than this that they are not at
all slow in expressing disapprobation if
the tune in hearing does not happen to
please them.
Professor Baker is violinist of abili-
ty. He had read and reread in his sci
entific studies of instances where music
was said to have had marked effect
upon the beasts of the field. He was
nothing loath to try the experiment.
Accordingly, permission was obtained
from the park authorities and with the
sanction of Animal Keeper Sweeney
profacsor poLar tpoL htc xyioli,, FRIDAY
afternoon after the last of the visitors
had departed and treated the lions and
their Gagged neighbors to concert as
varied in tone and tune, perhaps, as
was ever listened to by an animal au-
dience. There was no one present at
the time of the playing except Profess
sor Baker, Keeper Sweeney and re-
porter. 1t had been expected that the
animals would show some slight atten-
ton only to the music not enough, per
haps, even to justify the belief that
they were any more sensible of the
pleasing or discordant strains of d nlu-
steal instrument than they were of the
thousand and one notes which they
hear during the day while holding their
receptions of the public. The reverse
proved true, however. The animals not
alone showed themselves sensible of the
strains, but appreciative to a marked
and often boisterous degree Profess
sor Baker tried them with all sorts of
music. from "lively to severe" and
with many tones which were in no
sense music at all, being harsh, heavily
deep, and at times sharp and piercing.
The violinist was untiring In his at
tempt to get thorough knowledge of
musical causes as related to different
effects on the minds and actions of the
animals For an hour and a half he
played in front of their cages, varying
tune, key and distance as he noted
changing results.
The concert tour began in the west
of the animals house with an audience
of two occupying front seats and MAX
ing up, as the press reports say, in at
tention what they lacked in numbers
These highly interested auditors were
two cougars, pumas, painters" or
mountain lions, as they are severally
called in the different places which they
inhabit when they are free Professor
Baker drew his bow gently across the
strings AS the first note struck the
ears of the animals crouched at the
further end of the cage they drew their
heads slightly half startled and half
pleased The player backed slowly
away from the cage The notes be-
came low and Turing. The pumas
turned about and came as near the
source of the music as their bars would
admit. Then they sank to their
launches mute and motionless-abso-
lutely absorbed.
TRY them with something lively"
suggested Mr.. Sweeney.
The player nodded and the low, sweet
notes that he had been playing merged
into the rollicking measures of a Jig
played so rapidly that 1t would have
taken a man with four feet to have
kept it's time.
In an instant there was an uproar in
the next cage. occupied by the jaguar
more noted for his beauty and his
strength than for his eauable temper
He was jumping from of his cage to a
shelf fitted into the wall near its top
thence to the floor, and back again
and all the while flashing his tail like
the fail of thrasher and giving utter
ance to noises half way between hiss
and a growl 1t was difficult to deter
mine whether he was in an ecstacy of
delight or was uttering vigorous protest
at what he thought was poor tune for
a gifted violinist to be playing.
Let up little" said the animal
keeper to the fiddling scientist.
The tone went back again to the
soothing strains of the lullaby. The
jaguar was in mid-air as the rapid
change of music was made. He struck
the shelf and stayed there. He was as
quiet, all in moment, as a sleeping
kitten. His great yellow and black
head went between his paws and he
blinked slowly and dreamily at the vio-
ton He had been as quiet as mouse
in the suspected presence of cat when
the low and soft strains had been
played. The lively notes had moved
him to nervous action and the soothing
lullaby had again caused him to lie
contented and quiet.
The violinist passed slowly along the
face of the jaguar's cage. He ceased
playing as he neared the further end.
The beast rose at once, and in a mo-
ment had thrust one of his great paws
with the velvet drawn over the claws
through the bars of the cage toward
the moving musician. 1t was as I'M
mistakable movement to restrain his