Music at the Zoo.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 3 September 1910, Page 4

Music at the Zoo.

AMUSING-AND PERHAPS TRUE.

Do the tiger and his fellow denizens of the Zoo appreciate modern music, even through the medium of the latest gramophones? According to a writer m the Sydney Telegraph, who tried the experiment, most of the animals are .susceptible to the influences of some kind of music, but their critical powers are slight, and they prefer popular airs, preferably Harry Lander, to the higher forms of musical composition. A bear, when assailed by the exhilarating tune of "Hail! Columbia," expressed stolid indifference, which changed to an atitudo of annoyance, and finally he retired; to his sleeping compartment, where he buried his face in the straw in his efforts to escape fitom such a noise. Then Harry Lauder's "Stop Your Tickling, Jock," was put on the gramophone with this magical result—"At the preliminary gurgle of the instrument the bear raised his head, and a look of interest came into his eye. And when Harry Lauder's laugh began, all feeling of despondency had vanished. Ho was a changed bear. . . . Clinging to the top bar of the pole, with bis snout close to the cylinder and his ears exceptionally raised, he drank in the tune that had made many a sad man smile." It was thought that the chimpanzee, being a lady, .would prefer sacred music and "The Holy City" was accordingly tried, but it produced active resentment. The little story of Jim O'Shea soothed her, a song of Nat Clifford's completely pacified her; but "I love a lassie, a bonnie IHelan' lassie," caused her whole fare to expand in one beaming smile. Others of hei tribe, however, seemed at first to have no musical sense whatever, and their attitude quite damped the ardour of the experimenters. As ,a last resource they inserted the record of "The Wearin' o' the Green." Then came a change— "with one bound, as if electrified, they dashed towards the gramophone, and hanging on to the wirenetting gnashed their teeth at us." For suh auger Harry Lauder was considered the best cure, and they even "went one better" than the bear, and beat time to the music with their tails. The big Bengal tiger has the soul of a true musician. Though at first very suspicious of the machine, the music soon pacified him. Once again Harry Lauder's "Stop your Tickling" was tried. Then the tiger sat up on his haunches and appeared hugely tickled. He laughed— or at least went as near laughing as an animal can.