of the Position of Sonorous Bodies. 693 
defective ear, he will perceive nothing, or at most 
but a very confused noise, This circumstance 
shews, that the pulses which pass immediately 
before and behind him, continue in their course 
without being deflected to the sound ear, which 
it screened by the interposition of the temples 
and face, from the action of those that-strike the 
contrary side of the head... But the case would 
be otherwise, provided. sounds diverged from all 
points: indifferently ; because on this supposition 
the ear could not be protected from their in- 
fluence by its situation, Any person has. it in 
his power, to make the same experiment on him- 
self; for let any one standing in’ the open air 
close one of his ears with, moist paper, and ‘ 
cover the same side of his head with a folded 
napkin or cushion; if then a watch be held in 
the axis of hearing, at the distance of two or 
three inches from the napkin or cushion, he 
will not be made sensible of its presence by 
sound, Should the same experiment afterwards 
be repeated in a confined apartment, the person 
who makes it will perceive the clicking of the 
watch in the direction of his open ear, because 
the beats are reflected in their natural succession 
from the side of the room which is opposite to 
that ear, Opportunities sometime occur, that 
enable us to contemplate the. same phenomenon 
on a larger scale. If a-lofty and extensive 
