508 VOICE AND SPEECH. 



laryngoscope in the study of vocal phenomena that the 

 epiglottis and the ventricles were thought to be so important 

 in phonation. Undoubtedly the epiglottis has something to 

 do with the character of the voice ; but its function in this 

 regard is not absolutely necessary, or even very important, 

 as has been clearly shown by Longet in his experiments of 

 excising the part in living animals. 1 



The most important modifications of the laryngeal sounds 

 are produced by the resonance of air in the pharynx, mouth, 

 and nasal fossae. This resonance is indispensable to the 

 production of the natural human voice. Under ordinary 

 conditions, in the production of low notes the velum palati 

 is fixed by the action of its muscular fibres, so that there is a 

 reverberation of the bucco-pharyngeal and naso-pharyngeal 

 cavities ; that is, the velum is in such a position that neither 

 the opening into the nose or the mouth is closed, and all of 

 the cavities resound. As the tones are raised, the isthmus 

 contracts, the part immediately above the glottis is also con- 

 stricted, the resonant cavity of the pharynx and mouth is 

 reduced in size, until finally, in the highest tones of the 

 chest-register, the communication between the pharynx and 

 the nasal fossse is closed, and the sound is reenforced entirely 

 by the pharynx and mouth. At the same time the tongue, 

 a very important organ to singers, particularly in the pro- 

 duction of high notes, is drawn back into the mouth. The 

 point being curved downward, its base projects upward pos- 

 teriorly, and assists in diminishing the capacity of the cav- 

 ity. In the changes which the pharynx thus undergoes in 

 the production of different tones, the uvula acts with the 

 velum and assists in the closure of the different openings. 

 In singing up the scale, this is the mechanism, as far as the 

 chest-tones extend. When, however, we pass into what is 

 known as the head-voice, the velum palati is drawn forward 

 instead of backward, and the resonance takes place chiefly 

 in the naso-pharyngeal cavity. 



1 LONGET, Traite de physiologic, Paris, 1869, tome ii., p. 727. 



