Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1874 — Animal Esthetics. [ARTICLE]

Animal Esthetics.

A writer in Land and Water gives some curious instances of the sensibility of ducks to colors and musical sounds. He once had in his garden a, border of China asters of the most brilliant colors. The ducks would congregate round these and lie there for hours. They never pecked at them, as they found snails or slugs among them. They appeared simply gazing at them, as if attracted by the gay colors. Another time he had a large clump of__very brilliant violet flowers; which by their brightness shone out from the rest of the border. This clump w-as like a magnet to the ducks; some of them were always around it. One everfing the writer had a party of friends. It was summer time, and the doors of the sitting-room were open to the .lawn. One of the company commenced playing on the piano. No soone* was there a pause in the music than two ducks, which had by some means got into the room, rose from under a chair and waddled all over tire apartment, quacking loudly. On the music commencing the, ducks crouched down, perfectly silent while it continued. The experiment was made several times with the same result. That it was not surprise or fear which induced this behaviof.was afterward proved, for on subsequent occasions the same ducks would, upon hearing the piano, leave the field and come into the room to’ listen.