SINGING MICE.

Clutha Leader, Volume XXXIX, Issue 53, 14 February 1913, Page 8

SINGING MICE.

Dr Charles A. Coburn, of the Psychological Laboratory at Harvard University, is reported to have performed a series of interesting experiments on mice that can sing. At the beginning of the experiment the chirps were low, .but they gradually became louder. The "sour 1 ' of the mouse D*r Coburn likens to the *>weet and varied warbling of a canary. Every note was "clear ami distinct," Observers state that the "song" is' an irregular mixture of chirps and thrills, with here and there a snarling, smacking sound followed by a low murmur. But the majority of those- who have heard "singing'' in mice have assumed 'that it is due to a diseased condition of the lungs or of organs. A year ago Dr Coburn captured a couple of mice, a male and female, which produced these singing or chirping sounds in «y marked degree. The quality of the tone resembled somewhat that of a fife or flute', but each tono ended with a aieht throaty click. \The tones were uttered at the rate of fotir or five per second in groups of varying size. Sometimes as long as 10 seconds. As a rule, the tones of a group were not clear and distinct, but, instead, were uttered so rapidly as to seem connected. The throaty click was more noticeable in Mie case of the last tone of. a group. Often the "singing" would bd continued for a period of 10 to 15 minutes with rests between groups*