Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1894 — Animals and Musie. [ARTICLE]

Animals and Musie.

“The Influence of Music on Man, Animals and Plants” was discussed by Director Asger llainerik in his lecture at the Peabody Conservatory. Of the second part of his subject he said: “There is no doubt of music’s power in animals. All singing birds uro subject to the influence. The spider, the mouse and the snake can be charmed with tunes. 1 saw on Bt. Paul street one day a runaway horse stop suddenly where a street organ was being played and tumble all over. I had once a Gordon setter that would play with his paw on the keyboard of my piano, and, with a kind of murmur, try to imitate the human voice, making an effect that, if not musical, showed at least that the dog’s mind attempted something in that direction. “ I have had personal experience with the musical qualities of mice, for I once used to play in a room where there were many mice. When I played for a little while out would come trooping a critical audience of mice, w hich seemed perfectly tame as long as the music lasted. I experimented with them aguin and again, and arrived at the conclusion that they undoubtedly were in some way influenced by and very susceptible to music. I grew tired of my faithful auditors after a while, and closed the .doors of the concert hall to them by having a tinner cover the holes and Cracks in the floor. “ I believe that everything created like ourselves with ears is susceptible to musical tones, and it. is probable that if we could only find it out there is •musical material in all such animals that could be developed and cultivated in some way.”