DO ANIMALS LIKE MUSIC?

Evening Star, Issue 19273, 11 June 1926, Page 2

DO ANIMALS LIKE MUSIC?

SOME INSTANCES FROM AMERICA Under the heading ‘ Do Animals Like Music?’-the ‘Musical Quarterly’ (New York).-prints a summary of fifty-eight’ letters from children of under sixteen from various American States: — “The dog stands foremost as a suoject of notice. A lull baker’s dozen of these showed a real liking for music, whilo eight seemed to have a distaste for at least certain types of it. More interesting is the fact that six had a sufficiently keen aesthetic sense to discriminate in styles of music, and, what is really astonishing, they shamed their masters by invariably showing a preference for the better class of art. “Mary J. Ganley (eleven), or Missouri, says: ‘My dog likes music very much, because when I go to play the piano he always runs and jumps and harks; but when my uncle gets his violia to play with me, he, the dog, always runs away. Ho does not like the violin at all.’ And from Mary L. Quinlan (twelve), of Philadelphia: < We had a dog which would protest by:- howling every time I played the piano. After a short time he seemed to have gotten used to it, but he.never showed any signs of liking music.’ “But, judged by averages, Puss Jaaves Towaer out of scenting distance as a ‘ concert fan.’ - Eleven of those are reported as having a distinct interest in ’or even love for music. Four went so far as to walk on the piano keys, seemingly to hear their tones. One learned to like music; one learned to play the piano; and but one showed a dislike for music. “ Here ib the report of Bert bhoemaker, of Indiana; ‘I have a true story to relate of a beautiful Angora oat named Kitty Pat, owned by my aunt, who teaches music. When tfio pupil? to take their lessons, he would 4-5 ar» lie down behind the piano bench, before ihsy got their wraps off, : *ni prepare few a good fill of music, yonid pjw® «! loudly jaxa.t .both

teacher and pupil would have to stop and laugh. This cat showed in various ways that ho dearly loved music.’ “ That a cat may have a change of heart, musically, is evidenced by Doris M. Evans, of Connecticut: ‘Wo once had a cat who was afraid of the piano. Before he got killed he had got used to it, and would sit besido it and listen while I played.’ CAT THAT PLAYS THE PIANO. “ Most interesting of all, however, is the tale of eleven-year-old Dorothy Nye, of Maine. 1 When my kitten, Bobbykins, was very small ho used to sit in mamma’s lap while she practised, and seemed to enjoy the music very much. One day mamma thought she could teach him to play himself. Everyone thought this was foolish, but within a week he could play alone. He is the only cat I ever have heard of that could do this. His trick is fourfold. First, lie is requested to play the upper part of the piano: then in the lower part; ; third, to hold his tones; and fourth, to look at his notes. He always responds, and will play anywhere. He has travelled _ over much of Maine, and is now thirteen years old. He will also shake hands with anybody.’ A MUSICAL SNAKE. “ One of the most interesting episodes of the whole correspondence came in a letter from Mary Cramer, of Iowa: ‘ In a grass field, just across the way, are a number of snakes. Every afternoon when the piano was used - a big snake would come to that side of the house and lie there curled up until the music ceased. . . . Once our pianist

went on a two weeks’ vacation trip. Tho piano was untouched, and the. snake was never around. As soon as she returned and resumed her music the snake also returned.’ “ The mouse has also a taste in matters musical, as ten-year-old Reginald Morris, of North Carolina, has noticed. ‘ Once _ while my sister was playing the violin a mouse camo out of a hole in the wall and sat and listened attentively, apparently unafraid, and much charmed by the high notes the yjolimiii