48 BULLETIN 136, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



bone " came into use. The sackbut (or trombone) was evolved from 

 the trumpet the year 1300. 



The collection contains a " 13 flat tenor trombone with slide " 

 (55603, pi. 21 A), in which the slides have seven different positions: 

 and a " slide trumpet B natural, high pitch," acquired in 1905 

 (237756). The slide is drawn in by two coiled springs placed in a 

 closed brass box between the body and the coil. According to Walter 

 Smith, of the United States Marine Band, the slide lowers the nat- 

 ural tone of this instrument a whole tone in pitch. 



In Europe during the seventeenth century another means of ob- 

 taining a complete scale came into favor. Holes were pierced in the 

 side of a tube and covered with the fingers as in the flute, changing 

 the length of the column of air. The instruments constructed on 

 this principle were called cornets (cornetto) and were of various 

 lengths and shapes, so as to form a complete choir among them- 

 selves. Galpin states that " the tone of the cornetto in the hands of 

 an experienced player was much admired ; ' it resembles the bright- 

 ness of a sunbeam piercing the darkness when one hears it among the 

 voices in the cathedral, churches, and chapels.' " In the accounts of 

 Westminster Abbey for the year 1664 there is the entry, " Paied to 

 John Hill for playing on y e Cornett in y e churche this year P. 4." 9 



The simplest form of the instrument was the " tenor cornet " 

 (233535), a straight conical tube of wood covered with leather, and 

 having six finger holes and a thumb hole. A larger instrument of 

 this type was called the Corno Torti or Cornet a Bouquin, and was 

 used in the seventeenth century. Examples of this horn are 233540 

 and 233550, the former covered with leather and the latter painted 

 black. The instrument usually had six holes for the fingers and one 

 thumb hole. 



The deep bass member of this series of instruments continued 

 in use until a much later date than the cornetto. Under the name 

 of "serpent" it assisted the village choirs. According to Mer- 

 senne, a seventeenth century writer, " the sound of it is strong enough 

 to drown 20 robust voices, being animated by the breath of a boy, 

 and yet may be tempered to the softness of the sweetest voice." 

 Like the old cornetto, it was constructed of wood covered with skin 

 or leather. The serpent (54252, pi. 21c), is a very crooked wooden 

 leather-covered tube with a conical base with six finger holes and 

 three keys. It has an ivory cup-shaped mouthpiece fitted to a cylin- 

 drical brass tube which can be moved in or out to adjust the pitch. 

 The tube is curved to bring the finger holes within reach, as well as 

 to make the instrument more compact. The principle of the "ser- 

 pent" was transferred in 1780 to an instrument made of wood in 



Crystal Palace Handbook for 1900, p. 92. 



