PREHISTORIC ART. 



601 



material aud from the same locality as the preceding. The ornamen- 

 tation, however, is different. Attached to the upper part of the tube 

 about midway from each end is a disk ornamented in relief. Back of 

 this are two projecting wings, and a sort of tail curves over the end of 

 the tube, but leaving the bore entirely open. There are no linger holes, 

 and the whistling apparatus is so much damaged that no musical 

 sound can be produced. 



Tubular instruments with four finger holes and but little, if any, 

 added decorations are represented in the National Museum by ttiree 

 specimens found by Mr. Edward Palmer while exploring a cave situated 

 in the Mortices district about 28 miles east of Colima, Mexico. All are 

 modeled in rather coarse reddish clay. The largest (fig. 250a) measures 

 13^ inches in length by f inch in outside diameter, the bore or inside 

 being iH^ inch. The mouthpiece is formed by closing and flattening 

 one end of the tube, and has the usual air passage and venthole. The 

 finger holes are a little less than ^ inch in diameter, and are placed ^ 

 inch apart, tlie lower one being 1 inch from the end of the tube. 

 This instrument is well pre- 

 served, but for some reason the 

 tones emitted are weak, andean 

 only be produced by blowing 

 softly. Thenotes are as follows : 



Fig. 247. 



SMALL POTTERY WHISTLE, CiROTESQUE HUMAN HEAD. 



Tlaltelok'o, Mexico. 



Cat. No. 99072, U.S.N.M. ^ natural size. 



A smaller example (Cat. ISTo. 

 107172, r.S.X.M.) is the same 

 in lu'inciple. The venthole is, 

 however, placed on the lower 

 side (directly reversed from its 

 position on the large instru- 

 ment), and on the opposite upi^er surface, extending along the tube in 

 a line toward the finger holes, a serpent is represented in low relief. 

 The lower end is broken off, leaving only two finger holes. The remain- 

 ing part measures 8i inches in length; outside diameter, j^ inch, and 

 the bore, -i\r inch. Its notes, which are round aud full, are here indi- 

 Gated: . -^ f# f . 



These are obtained by using ordinary force in blowing. Increased 

 power will produce their octave, aud, with added force, the fifth above 

 is possible. 



With the two instruments just described Mr. Palmer found a double 

 flute or flageolet (fig. 2501)). The tubes seem to have been made sepa- 

 rately and then Inted together. At the lower end of each are four 

 finger holes of the same size and distance apart as given in fig. 250a. 



