The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-06
SOME ANIMALS
 FOND OF MUSIC

From the Louisville Courier-Journai
 The extraordinary musical sensitfveness of spiders has frequently been attested. Every one has heard of Pellison's spider. Consoer of the unfortunate prisoner, it perished because it listened too closely to the captve's violin. The jailer saw 1t and crushed 1t brutally.
 Gretry, the composer, speaks of favor ite spider which descended along it's thread upon his piano as soon as he 1 played it. When giving recItals at Brus- sells Rubenstein saw large spider issue from the floor of the platform and ls-
 ten to the music. He gave three concerts at tho same hall and on each occasion
 the spider appeared.
 Insects in general, though less sensitive to music do not object to 1t. Fishes be- tray little or no interest in music <svery- body, on the other hand. probably knows that music Is often used in order to att tract snakes from their hiding places.
 The Indians catch iguanas in that manner, and there is an experiment that
 we can all make to demonstrate the truth of the matter. If a violin or piano is played whenever there is a lizard vis-
 ible. the lizard will stob to listen with obvious pleasure just as long as ths music continues.
 It is a well known fact that in those countries where oxen are used for labor they take great pleasure in the singing of their drivers. They work better at the blow when stirred by cheerful sons Arabs sing to their camels during long journeys across the desert
 Horses are particularly sensitive to music Guence, who carefully studied tho matter, quotes the following curious fact: Infantry was making a military test march when the music struck up. The young horse of Captain De R-hastened forward and placed itself, in spite of its rider behind the last rank of the musicians. Then it followed peacefully, giving obvious signs of pleasure
 When the music ceased the captain was able to resume his place at the head or his company. but the band struck up again, and the horse, notwithstanding the efforts of Captain De R to restrain him, galloped ahead and once more placed it. self behiAd the musicians. This happened every time the band played"
 Lions have been found to listen with marked joy to the piano. They appreci-
 ate the top notes and the middle register. | but ruar terribly when the bass keys l
 1 Scarlattl. the Italian composer, owned | a cat which loved to walk on the keys of a piano and struck certain notes in | preference to others. The composer took l those notes as the theme of one of his | fugues, which, for that reason. received the name of "The Cat Fugue." NJ. Dau- | bresse testifies that he has seen many | cats walk up sand down the keyboard. | showing extraordinary pleasure at the | sounds thus produced. The last named authority also tells of a dog that would listen intently and silently to all meo- dies, but displayed every symptom of
 pain and agony at the sound of a chro- matic scale, This dog became quiet as >soon the melody was again taken up. It was only the succession of semtones that made so strange an impression upon
 it. Daubresse knew of another dog that was most fond of organ music, but which
 walled terribly as soon as the Nox Ces leste stop was used.
 If one wished to make serious experi- ments in musical psychology the dog would no doubt prove the most interest. ing study, and the monkey, too, would be fascinating Darwin mentions a gibbon which was able to sing a complete octave, and it is known that black chimpanzees will gather to the number of from 20 to 50 and form a kind of orchestra, beating pieces of hollow wood with sticks for their own pleasure.