Evening star., 1948-04-15
= This and That
By Charles E. TraceUell

If you ever get the rustic and rhythm Of the
samba in your blood, you will think that fox
trots are pretty poor, dated stuff, in COMPARE
son.
There are some very charming records Of
these Brazilian tunes, but perhaps the best Of
them are old Victor discs, including "Juro,"
Alma de Un Povo," cola, Seu Nicolau," "Abre
a Janella," "Por esta v. passa," "Sabio lar
angeira," etc.
The beautiful cat-like voices of the women
singers, and the fine, full-bodied but soft and
smooth voices of the male singers, combine
well with the unusual Instrumentation, includ-
ing what seems to be hollow jug, from time
to time.
When * started to play some of these
the other day. an old mockingbird few to the
back porch and registered interest
AS the records played, the bird began to
sing and for time it was a question Of
which was the loudest
All Latin American rhythms, including the
rumbas appeal to the birds.
The little song sparrow always comes to the
window when the maracas and other typical
south of the e-border" instruments get to 60
ing.
House cats, in particular, are susceptible to
the rhythm of the runnba and other typical
Cuban numbers
Probably this is due to the elemental beating
Of the drums.
Haitian music, too, including the voodoo,
makes "hit" with cats.
They respond, of course not by intent listen
ing, but by capering, or rapid rushes through
the house, using the davenport to "bank" as
they go around.
The reaction of animals to man-made music
is interesting.
Occasionally cat or dog will seem to listen
closely, and even like symphonies.
The best instance of this we know was
poor old blind Smudgy, the cat, who had
favorite symphony, to which he always paid
rapt attention.
Beethoven, Brahms, others left him cold, but
Just let Vaughn Williams London Symphony"
be placed on the machine, he settled down to
listen, usually not more than or feet away
No doubt the noble opening chords low,
soft and slow, were responsible Tor some OF
this, but not all, by any means, since that
opening is unique both In this particular SYM
phony and in any other.
We believe that many house cats would
like to listen to the recording of Bruckner's
Symphony No. 4, especially the opening OF
the first movement.
ASIDE from chrping and calls, there is not
much bird music these days, as yet. So the
songsters would like to hear music from the
house.
Feed them, give them water also dust baths
but do not forget their love OF music.
BY opening window, now and then, while
playing something good, the birds will fly IN
and listen, and join in. in all probability.
These pre-nesting days, the local birds tight
over food, mostly.
The other day we watched robin and starl-
ing having a great set-to over some bread and
| ralsins.
They flew at each other repeatedly, bills ex-
tended, claws up, but nothing much seemed
to result from such encounters.
Not feather flew
Finally, the starting retired. leaving the
robin i'll full control of the field Of honor,
raisins and bread. He devoted most of his
attention to the raisins
It is not always realized that our robin is
good fighter, and determined one
When two Of them fight often one of them
is literally driven to the ground after ex-
tensive fight, which seems to take all his
breath away.
One beaten robin sought refuge at the
| feet of a human, and was so badly out OF
| breath that 1t was . full five minutes before
he could dy.