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Most essays presented as part of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy are not of great merit, but this thesis on the influence of music on behavior is an exception, for the author has presented a readable, interesting and informative book on a subject which today is arousing considerable interest. The author agrees with Darwin that music plays an important rôle in sexual selection, particularly in birds and insects. In mammals, the evidence is more doubtful but it seems to have operated in the case of anthropoids and simians, "where the male vocal organs are larger and the voice may be a charm to the female." The introduction, in fact, gives a good historical survey of the views of Darwin, Spencer and others regarding the development of music.
The book itself is divided into nine chapters with the following headings: (1) Introduction; (2) The Reactions of Animals