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THE CARDINAL VOL. I PLATTSBURGH, N. Y., APRIL 28, 1906 No. 4 ON RHYTHM IN MUSIC GEORGE H. HUDSON (Concluded) H OW far back does the appre- ciation of rhythm go in the ani- mal kingdom? Listen to the voice of the green grasshoppers on a sum- mer night and- you will hear a great orchestra making clearly marked and very creditable iiiiytlun,—wheth- er Katy 'did or Katy didn't the- Katy- dids keep time. Among birds note the sonig of the Peabody bird or of the Red eyed vireo for widely differ- ent yet fine examples. iHlorses often try to step with the rhythm of a brass band and I have heard a specimen of the genus Homo remark that he could, not tell One Hundred from Yankee Doodle but would gladlv walk ten miles to hear a good drum corps. . Why the grouping of sounds in rhythmical sequence should be able to work on our emotions and give us pleasure or pain may perhaps be seen by examining some our fundamental physiological rhythms. We will deal simply with the rate of beats or with that simplest possible form of rhythm designated in music as tempo. We are breathing, making say twenty ex- pirations and twenty inspirations in a minute, some one is playing for us at a tempo of forty beats per. minute, if now the musician •retards gradually his tempo so as to reduce it to thirty six our rate of respiration will be quieted, and if he accelerate his beats he will for the moment make us breathe the more quickly. Adagios are therefore usually quieting in their nature and give a sense of restful- ness. Another very essential bodily rhythm is found in the heart beat and as the ratio of heart beat to re- spiration is about four to one, what- ever tempo affects the breathing will