204 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



sidered to be peculiar to strings. Another invention of his is 

 a string which, to the great surprise of those who attempted 

 it, could not be put out of tune. Mr. Hamilton is still en- 

 gaged in perfecting his inventions, which promise to give us 

 the effect of an organ in a piano-forte, and that of a piano- 

 forte in a cottage instrument. 12 A, XL, 99. 



HARMONY IX MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 



In a course of lectures on the science of music Mr. Ellis 

 has explained the defects of the ordinary keyed instruments, 

 toned by a system which he characterizes as the worst pos- 

 sible, in that every element of harmony is violated. In the 

 piano-forte the errors of temperament are not so offensive 

 as in the organ and in the harmonium. In olden times or- 

 gans were tuned on a temperament which put the principal 

 keys in good tune, but more recently organists, having made 

 up their minds to play in all sorts of remote keys, a great 

 change has taken place, and an equal temperament has been 

 attempted. For show organs this course may be defended, 

 but not for church organs, where nothing but the simplest 

 keys are required. The organ of half a century ago was a 

 sweet-sounding instrument compared with the harsh ones of 

 modern days. A curious proof occurred a few years ago of 

 the mischief done to the tone of an organ by the equal tem- 

 perament. Dr. Pola had to construct two organs of tolera- 

 ble size. In the one he gave way to popular prejudice by 

 having it tuned equally ; in the other he adopted the old 

 tuning ; and though the instruments were precisely alike in 

 other respects and made by the same builder, the latter or- 

 gan acquired the reputation of being peculiarly sweet-toned, 

 while the former was considered harsh. 12 A, XL, 89. 



