Show Concourse of Sweet Sounds as Pigeons Fly Long before the radio was dreamed of ot the Chinese had music on the theair theair theall air all according to Dr Berthold Laufer curator of ot anthropology at atField atField Field Museum of Natural History Chicago This they accomplished by means of oC small reed Instruments resembling resembling resembling re re- re- re pipes of Pan which they attached to the thc tall taU feathers of pigeons Whole flocks of pigeons are arethus arethus thus equipped each bird with whIstles whistles whistles whis whIs- producing different notes and as the birds 11 fly the wind strikes the apertures of ot the Instruments setting them to vibrating and creating a pleasant oIen open air air concert The Chinese explanation of ot the practice Is that the sounds of the whistles are Intended to l keep the flocks together and to protect the birds from the onslaughts of hawks I and other birds of prey This rationalistic rationalistic rationalistic ra ra- interpretation however Is not convincing It Is doubtful whether er such music makes an any Impression on either pigeon or hawk an and since this music constantly fills the atmosphere atmosphere at at- year after aUer year the unrelenting unrelenting unrelenting lenting foes of the pigeon would gradually become accustomed to It and disregard It even een If it had kept them away at nt first It seems more plausible that this quaint custom has no rational origin but that It rather Is the outcome of or purely emotional and artistic tendencies It Is not the pigeon that profits from this aerial music but the lie human ear car On a n serene serene serene se se- rene day one can hear this concert concertIn In Peking all day even In n ones one's house |