84 BULLETIN 136, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



shown with the instrument. Other old English instruments are 

 96475 (pi. 36e) and 324845. 



An interesting guitar (326752, pi. 36c) has the name "Jerome" 

 stamped on both screw heads. It is the gift of Miss Le C. Gaillard. 



Several exhibited guitars were made in America, one being a 

 Spanish model (55690). It has horizontal tuning pegs with a worm 

 wheel moved by vertical screws. Three instruments made in America 

 show slight differences except in the woods (55689, 55691, and 

 55692). 



Three octave guitars are shown. An American instrument 

 (219989) is much smaller than the ordinary guitar and both back 

 and belly are slightly arched. It is wire strung and tuned like a 

 mandolin. An octave guitar (75608) is from the Portuguese on the 

 Madeira Islands and has gut strings. It is a favorite instrument 

 among the natives, who frequently make the body in the form of 

 a fish, the surface being carved to represent scales. No. 95909 is an 

 octave guitar from Peru. 



The collection contains a large guitar (216504), which was used 

 in a band of fine instruments in Manila, P. I. Still larger is 216507, 

 whose strings have a vibrating length of 24 inches. 



The name " guitar " is applied to several instruments that lack the 

 characteristics of the foregoing. The Siamese guitar (27310) has 

 a body that is almost circular with vertical sides and is strung with 

 the silk strings that seem a contribution of China and neighboring 

 countries to the development of stringed instruments. A Chinese 

 guitar with an octagonal body is 54126. Like the preceding instru- 

 ment it has four silk strings tuned in pairs. The interval between 

 the pairs of strings is said to be a fifth. The strings pass over a 

 bridge and 13 high ivory frets. The "balloon guitars," 96570 and 

 130449 (pi. 44c), are the style of instrument used in northern China 

 £.nd have four silk strings. A Japanese balloon guitar (94643) 

 resembles a lute more than a guitar. A wide leather band glued 

 across the belly is decorated with a raised sun and crescent in ivory. 

 A Chinese banjo (54020, pi. 44/), with three silk strings, has both 

 the belly and back of snake skin, stretched over the body, forced 

 into a groove and glued in place. 



Two balalaika or triangular guitars from Alaska are 72553 and 

 73021. The former comes from Lesnoi Island, collected by W. J. 

 Fisher. It has five gut frets and three strings of the same material. 

 The latter comes from the Commander Islands and is doubtless cf 

 Russian origin. It is made of wood and fastened together with 

 wooden pins. Near this is shown a Chilcat guitar with balloon- 

 shaped body, flat back and belly (45971). The head has a nail 

 placed vertically for a tuning peg. One string of twisted sinew 



