Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-31
By Frederic S. Law

Steal SenS1 Dll1ty OF animals
have had interesting
suits. 1t was shown that horses are particu-
larly susceptible to melody unrelated tones
produced almost no effect upon them COM
pared to that caused by melodlous phrases.
They were tested by a flute and violin, and
the former was by far the more effective. At
the first sound of the flute all turned eagerly
toward the player. Some, after satlsty1n
their curiosity returned to the feeding trough
but these were only few in number,-not
more than one in FIVE. The rest showed by
their bearing an absorbing interest IN the
music, especially the younger and more tlm1d
animals. This was seen by the convulsive
movement of the belly, which it is well known
is peculiar to the horse in moments OF great
excitement. They paved the ground, twitched
their ears and manifested all the signs OF in
tense agitation.
The elephant is one of the animals most
readily affected by music. In Paris at the
Jardin DIES Plantes full orchestra was used
in the experiment the elephants, which
showed themselves peculiarly sensitive to
changes of rhythm and movement. AS an
expressive romance was played they seemed
under spell, they listened in utter silence,
their movements slow and measured, IN exact
accordance with the tempo of the compost
ton When this was changed to the sprightly
tune of Ga ira" the famous revolutionary
song of $780, they were transported into
state of feverish commotion. They trumpeted
loudly, marched briskly to and fro; every &C.
stimulus.
A similar experiment made on bears
in the geological garden at London. The air
of attention they assumed as they stood up
right against the gratings was highly ludlcrous
When a march was played they walked up
and down with an evident attempt to measure
their PAGES to the movement OF the melody
With lions the effect was the same. Their
curiosity seemed greatly excited; they drew
as near the players as possible Wolves on
t. Ia root
the contrary, were much frightened ana G Itp,
to the farthest recesses of their cages. With
jackals and foxes it was much the same, only
IN less degree. Sheep appeared to be en-
chanted by the violin; they even stopped
feeding to listen. Monkeys were strongly I'M
pressed, and in peculiarly individual ways:
some were startled and ran away; Others
listened with mods and with an intensely
comical air of understanding all about it.
Snakes Have Musical Ears
THE love of snakes for music is traditional.
though their sense of hearing IS in general
not acute. The East Indian snake charmer
plays a monotonous tune on an instrument
resembling small clarinet, whereupon the
serpent emerges from the basket in which 1t IS
kept and erects its body as far as it can from
the ground, often swaying to and fro in meas
ure with the music. When in this condition
it is not dangerous, and can be handled with
out risk; it is only when the music ceases that
it is hazardous to approach it. For that reason
the charmers generally remove the poison hangs
before exhibiting their perilous pets.
Squirrels are particularly fond OF music,
and prefer soft, sustained tones to sounds that
are at all loud or harsh Fetis tells of squirrel
that was always attracted by the adaglo from
Mozart's quartet in E major. When this was
PLAYED it never failed to come out from its
hole to listen, and as soon as it was finished
it scampered back to its hiding place. Doctor
Chomet relates a story of being in the woods
and singing an air from Italian opera.