rms to soothe the savage breast." Music is composed of
vibrations, which act with great power upon the nervous system of men
and animals alike. Each is affected according to his particular physical
and mental development.

Professor Tarchanoff has made a careful study of the influence of music
upon men and animals. He has demonstrated, by means of a machine which
carefully registers the various activities of the hands and fingers,
that when the hands are so tired and fatigued that they cannot make any
marks except a straight line on the cylinder which registers the
movements, music will so stimulate the nerves as to cause all fatigue to
disappear. And as soon as the fingers again touch the cylinder, they
begin to draw lines of various kinds and heights, thus proving that the
music had rested the fingers and placed them under control. Various
kinds of music were used: that of a melancholy nature had precisely the
opposite effect to that of a lively, cheerful character; the nerves of
the hands could either be contracted or expanded according to the nature
of the music.

Like all real scientists, Professor Tarchanoff does not claim to give
any positive explanation of these facts. He believes, however, that the
voluntary muscles act in the same relation to the music as the
heart--that is, that cheerful, happy music affects the excito-motor
nerves, sets up a vibration in those nerves which produces cheer and
good feeling; while sad, morbid music plays along the depressant nerves
and produces sadness and depression.

In view of these facts, it is easy to see how animals, with their
nervous temperaments and ready response to outside stimuli, are greatly
influenced by various kinds of music. It is scientifically recognised
that music tends to increase the elimination of carbonic acid and
increases not only the consumption of oxygen, but even the activities of
the skin. There is no doubt that good music at meal time aids the
digestion.

[Illustration: _American Museum of Natural History, New York_

MONKEYS ARE THE MOST MUSICAL OF ALL ANIMALS. WHEN THEY CONGREGATE FOR
"CONCERTS," AS SOME OF THE TRIBES DO, THE AIR IS FILLED WITH WEIRD
STRAINS OF MONKEY-MUSIC.]

[Illustration: CATS, UNLIKE DOGS, ARE VERY FOND OF MUSIC. AND IT HAS
BEEN PROVED THAT THEIR MUSIC-SENSE CAN BE DEVELOPED TO A REMARKABLE
DEGREE.]

Cats have a species of unbeautiful music all their own, generally
produced at late hours of the night on the house top