THE PRODUCTION OF THE VOICE. 547 



much more extensive, and form a more acute angle anteriorly. The 

 different qualities of the tenor and bass, and of the alto and soprano 

 voices, probably depend on some peculiarities of the ligaments, and the 

 membranous and cartilaginous parietes of the laryngeal cavity, which 

 are not at present understood, but of which we may form some idea, 

 by recollecting that musical instruments made of different materials, 

 e.g., metallic and gut-strings, may be tuned to the same note, but that 

 each w 1 '!! give it with a peculiar tone or timbre. 



The boy's larynx resembles the female larynx; their vocal cords 

 before puberty are not two-thirds the length of the adult cords; and 

 the angle of their thyroid cartilage is as little prominent as in the 

 female larynx. Boys' voices are alto and soprano, resembling in pitch 

 those of women, but louder, and differing somewhat from them in tone. 

 But, after the larynx has undergone the change produced during the 

 period of development at puberty, the boy's voice becomes bass or tenor. 

 While the change of form is taking place, the voice is said to crack; it 

 becomes imperfect, frequently hoarso and crowing, and is unfitted for 

 singing until the new tones are brought under command by practice. 

 In eunuchs, who have been deprived of the testes before puberty, the voice 

 does not undergo this change. The voice of most old people is deficient 

 in tone, unsteady, and more restricted in extent: the first defect is 

 owing to the ossification of the cartilages of the larynx and the altered 

 condition of the vocal cords; the want of steadiness arises from the loss of 

 nervous power and command over the muscles; the result of which is 

 here, as in other parts, a tremulous movement. These two causes com- 

 bined render the voices of old people void of tone, unsteady, bleating, 

 and weak. 



In any class of persons arranged, as in an orchestra, according to the 

 character of voices, each would possess, with the general characteristics 

 of a bass, or tenor, or any other kind of voice, some peculiar character 

 by which his voice would be recognized from all the rest. The condi- 

 tions that determine these distinctions are, however, quite unknown. 

 They are probably inherent in the tissues of the larynx, and are as 

 indiscernible as the minute differences that characterize men's features; 

 one often observes, in like manner, hereditary and family peculiarities 

 of voice, as well marked as those of the limbs or face. 



Most persons, particularly men, have the power, if at all capable of 

 singing, of modulating their voices through a double series of notes of 

 different character : namely, the notes of the natural voice, or chest- 

 notes, and the falsetto notes. The natural voice, which alone has been 

 hitherto considered, is fuller, and excites a distinct sensation of much 

 stronger vibration and resonance than the falsetto voice, which has 

 more a flute-like character. The deeper notes of the male voice can 



