HANDBOOK OF THE COLLECTION OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 29 



Numerous specimens of transverse flutes are exhibited, some made 

 of cocus wood and some of boxwood, while some have the body and 

 foot of " granadillo " wood. A large majority of these were acquired 

 in 1882. Nos. 55629, 55625, and 55628 have a brass sliding joint and 

 screw-adjusted cork; 55627, 55623, and 55630 (pi. 16<?) have a sliding 

 joint of German silver, and 55624 (pi. 16c) has no sliding joint. 

 No. 95050 is brass lined and has a cork without a screw to adjust it. 

 A transverse bamboo flute from Pekin (130446, pi. 16/) was col- 

 lected by Mrs. W. W. Rockhill in 1888. 



A "concert flute," an American instrument, is of rosewood, the 

 cork adjusted by a screw. It has 15 lateral openings, 5 of which 

 are closed by the fingers and 10 by silver keys. An interesting old 

 ivory flute in a case (300888), is dated " about 1812," and an example 

 of the rare porcelain flute is 95911. 



Four transverse Japanese flutes are exhibited. These are made of 

 bamboo and each has seven finger holes. No. 95809 is lacquered red 

 inside; 93205 (1 and 2) are lacquered black and decorated with 

 designs in raised gold lacquer, and 94,660 is varnished and orna- 

 mented with bands of black lacquer. Similar instruments are 93204 

 (1 and 2, pi. 16^) - Nos. 260795 (A and B) are Moro flutes from 

 Mindanao Island and are made of bamboo, the mouth hole and six 

 finger holes made with a burning iron. 



The term piccolo (Italian for " little ") is commonly applied to 

 the octave flute. The pitch of the piccolo is an octave higher than 

 the pitch of a flute of the same denomination. The two sizes are the 

 C and the E flat piccolo. The piccolo as usually made is a small flute 

 of conical bore with six keys. Piccolos with the Boehm fingering 

 are made both with the conical and the cylindrical bore. Three oi 

 these instruments are exhibited. No. 55631 is a C piccolo, and 55632 

 and 55633 are E-flat piccolos. These are made, respectively, of box- 

 wood and cocus wood. 



The fife differs from the piccolo in having a cylindrical base. 

 Strictly speaking, a fife is a small cylinder flute, generally im jointed, 

 with six finger holes and without any keys. It appears to have been 

 introduced into military music early in the sixteenth century by the 

 Swiss, and is said to have been first used by the Swiss troops in the 

 Battle of Marignano in 1515. The true fife, which was generally set 

 in B flat, F, or C, was faulty in intonation, and its place is often 

 taken, in the so-called " flute bands," by small flutes fitted with keys. 

 The flute without keys has continued, however, in military .service 

 and in many " fife and drum corps." 



A " U. S. Regulation C fife," acquired in 1884, is 93193. It has six 

 finger holes. No. 55746 is also a C fife of the year 1882, and 219179 

 is a fife stamped " B flat." turned from a single piece of cocus wood 

 2999—27 3 



