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The Peruvian instrument was discovered, some years ago, in a 

 hitaco, or vast tumulus, that was believed to cover the remains of an 

 Inca of Peru. It is not of unequal reeds, like the Greek syrinx, 

 but is cut out of a piece of potstone, of a trapezoidal form, in which 

 are cut eight tubular holes of unequal depths. These tubes or holes 

 are of equal diameter, and have been carefully made with some sort 

 of drill. The breadth of the instrument, including a short handle, 

 is 6-2 inches ; its greatest depth, 5 3 inches ; and the thickness of 

 the stone varies from 0*7 to 05 inch. The instrument in principle 

 and in form is analogous to the Pan's pipe of antiquity, or to the 

 organetto of modern Italy ; but has one remarkable difference in a 

 small ventilage on each of four of its pipes ; when one is uncovered, 

 that pipe is mute, but when covered by the fingers of the player, the 

 full sound is produced. 



A strolling Italian, who performed well on the organetto, was 

 employed for several evenings to play on the Peruvian instrument ; 

 and, with the assistance of three skilful musical friends, one of whom 

 was an adept on the violoncello, the author of the paper was enabled 

 to ascertain the scale of the instrument. This scale extended from 

 E on the lower line, through F sharp, G, A, D, C sharp, F to A, 

 above the lines. By means of the ventilages, the ordinary notes of 

 the instrument seemed to be divisable into two tetrachords, — one 

 in the key of E minor, the other of F major — the first a perfect te- 

 trachord ; the second, nearly so. 



The form of the instrument and its use have a striking similarity 

 to the Syrinx of the Greeks, the invention of which was ascribed to 

 the god Pan, or to Egypt ; and it is worthy of notice, that the great 

 musical system of the Greeks also consisted of tetrachords. A syrinx 

 of unequal reeds was found by the celebrated Humboldt, in the 

 hands of the natives, on the banks of the Orinocco. It is in use 

 among the Arabs of the desert, and a similar instrument, composed 

 of twelve unequal reeds, is figured by Ksempfer among the instru- 

 ments of the Japanese. 



2. Some Remarks on Cometary Physics. By Professor 

 Piazzi Smyth. 



That theories of the physical appearances of comets have generally 

 failed, appeared to the author to arise from the facts having been mis- 

 understood or misinterpreted in general by the observers themsc-lves. 



