OP THE VOICE AND SPEECH. 101 



proved by the beautiful experiment of tying' or dividing 

 the recurrent nerves, or par vagum,* and thus weaken- 

 ing or destroying the voice of the animal. (A) 



157. Man and singing birds have the power of 

 whistling. In the latter, it is accomplished by a larynx 

 placed at each extremity of the wind-pipe and divided 

 into two portions. The former, though possessing a 

 single and undivided larynx, has only learned, I ima- 

 gine, to imitate birds by the coarctation of his lips.f 



158. Singing, which is compounded of speech and an 

 harmonic modulation of the voice, I conceive to be 

 peculiar to man and the chief prerogative of his vocal 

 organs. The power of whistling is innate in birds; 

 many of them may easily be taught to pronounce 

 words, and instances have been known of this even in 

 dogs. But it is recorded, that genuine singing has 

 once or twice only, and then indeed but indifferently 

 and with the utmost difficulty, being taught to parrots; 

 while, on the other hand, scarcely a barbarous nation 

 exists, in which singing is not common.! 



* Respecting this celebrated experiment, anciently made by Galen, consult 

 among others W. Courten, Pkilin. Trans. N. 335. Morgagai, Ep. Anntum. 

 xii. No. 20. P. P. Molinelli, Cuint,icnt. Institute Bonon. Tom. iii. J. Haig'uton, 

 Manuifs of the ~Medicnl Society of Luitdon. T. iii. 



t The larynx, even among the most ferocious people, is capable of imitating 

 die sounds of animals. Consult v. c. Nic. Witsen, Xuord ni utmt Tartarye, 

 ed. 2. Amst. 1705. vol. 1. p. ICo, respecting the southern inhabitants of 

 New Guinea, called Papua. And J. Adair, History of the American Indians. 

 p. 30!), respecting the Choktah tribe of North America. 



I have in my hands the testimony of most respectable travellers, in regard, 

 for instance, to the inhabitants of Ethiopia, Greenland, Canada, California, 

 Kamtschatka, &c. and therefore wonder at the assertion of Rousseau, that 

 singing is not natural to man. Dictiunu. de Musi^uc. T. i. p. 170. Genev. 

 1731. 12mo. 



