Sketcher

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2070, 20 May 1887, Page 2 (Supplement)

Sketcher

luie and the Brute Creation.

“ Come, 0 come with me !" sing- Bruin 1 to the pig*. And why should not jugs ! •njoy music ? True, their own notes arc iar from melodious, whether they* squeal in their own soprano register or grunt in the Ihum profuruh , but many animals whose voices are disagreeable are known to derive pleasure from musical sounds. During a recent visit to the W est Indies I wss struck with the fascination music seemed to have for the lizards, and that led me to think of the effect of sound upon various animals, dumb and otherwise. In Barbados I noticed that when in a parlor were ladies were playing on the piano, the little green lizards would crawl in from the garden, the bath-room and other places of retreat, and stand perfectly motionless, their heads up, and their bright eyes glittering, perfectly entranced with the melodious notes of the player. If you whistle an air, they will come out of their hidingplaces and collect around you ; or if a person walks up and down the garden playing on the flute, they will follow him. As a contrast to this, observe the exquisite misery endured by a dog when plaintive music or music in a shrill key is being performed. How he will fidget and move from place to place, trying to escape the torture by first crawling under one piece of furniture, and then another, till at last, unable to endure the anguish longer, he gives vent to his feelings in a prolonged howl I Of all animals, man alone excepted, the elephant is the most susceptible to musical sounds. In order to give a practical demonstration of this fact, some showmen, or men of science many years ago gave a concert in Paris to two elephants. The exhibition took place in the Botanic Hardens, and excited great curiosity, all the rank, wealth, and fashion of the city being present. The orchestra was placed above in a gallery, with a trap door in the floor to permit the sound to escape downward. On the first sound of the music the elephants, which were a male and female, called Hans and Miss, having walked around the enclosure, directed their trunks to the trap door, raising themselves on their hind legs. They appeared alarmed, but after a few seconds resumed their usual calmness, and abandoned themselves to the delights which the music afforded them. The tune was then changed to one of a savage and rude nature. The effect was magical. The elephants approached the bars of the cage, twisted their trunks around them, and pushed against them violently with their bodies, exhibiting symptoms of pain and rage, over which they seemed to have no control. On the air being again changed to a soft and languishing measure, they exhibited every sign of strong and passionate fondness for each other. But the most astonishing effects were produced by the Marseillaise Hymn. As soon as the orchestra struck up, the beasts whistled, uttered sounds of joy, and then melancholy intonations. They appeared to be under fearof sonieunkiiowncalamity, and were preparing themselves to meet it with fortitude. The tunc was again changed, and the plaintive, pensive notes produced corresponding effects. The female rested her trunk on the floor, and seemed wrapped in unspeakable grief, Hearge Barrow, the author of Thr Ihhh ia S[hii ■, narrates an incident which illustrates the susceptibility of the horse to intonations of tite human voice which, if not exactly music, in this case are so near akin to it as to justify me in taking his story as an example. One day when travelling in Ireland, his horse cast a shoo. He stopped at the shed of a tierce, uncanny Celtic blacksmith to repair damages. After some rough bungling the job was finished. “ ‘ Arc ye not afraid of that boast said the smith, showing the animal's tang. ‘ Vrrah ' it s vicious he looks.' “ * It's at you. then. 1 don't fear him,’ and thereupon I passed under the horse, between his hind legs, “ ‘ And is that all ye can do, agrah ■uid the smith. “ ‘ No,’ said I. ‘ I can ride him.' ‘■‘\e can ride him, ami what else, .agrah !' “ ‘ I can leap him over a six lout wail.' said I. " ‘Over a wall, and what moie, agrah *’ * Nothing more, said (. ‘ What m**re Would you have “‘Can Voii do this, agrah : said the smith, and l.e uttered a word, which 1 had never heard before, in a sharp pungent tom.-. Tim effect on mysjif was somewhat extraordinary ; a strange thrill ran t!.r ui .U me : but with regard to the horse i‘ v. s s terrible ; the animal forthwith became like one mad. and reared and kicked with the utmost desperation. “‘Can you do that, agrah.'' said tho smith. “ ‘ What is it said 1, retreating. ‘ I never saw the horse so before.' ‘‘‘Ho between his hindleg.-, agrah,’ said tlie smith-‘his hinder legs,’ and again he showed his fang. “‘I dare not,’ said I . he would kill me.’ “ ‘ He would kill ye I and how do ye know that, agrah !’ “ ‘ I feel he would,’ said I ; ‘ something tells me so. ’ “ ‘ And it tells ye truth, agrah : but it's a line beast, and it's a pity to see him in such a state. /o -"/.0, n,rt ami here he muttered another word, in a voice singularly modified, hut sweet and almost plaintive. “The effect was almost instantaneous as was that of the other, but how dit’erent ' Tho animal lost all its fury, and became at once cairn and gentle. The smith went up and coaxed it and patted it. making use of sounds of eq'iil endearment. Then turning to me, ami holding out once more the grimy hand, he said, ‘ And now ye w ill be giving me tcnp.nce, agrah 1’ ”