106 NATURAL HISTORY. 



made as well by suction as by emission of the breath : 



as in whistling or breathing. 



Experiments in consort touching articulation of sounds. 



192. It is evident, and it is one of the strangest 

 secrets in sounds, that the whole sound is not in the 

 whole air only ; but the whole sound is also in every 

 small part of the air. So that all the curious diver 

 sity of articulate sounds, of the voice of man or birds, 

 will enter at a small cranny inconfused. 



193. The unequal agitation of the winds and 

 the like, though they be material to the carriage of 

 the sounds farther or less way : yet they do not con 

 found the articulation of them at all, within that 

 distance that they can be heard ; though it may be, 

 they make them to be heard less way than in a still ; 

 as hath been partly touched. 



194% Over great distance confoundeth the arti 

 culation of sounds ; as we see, that you may hear 

 the sound of a preacher s voice, or the like, when you 

 cannot distinguish what he saith. And one articu 

 late sound will confound another, as when many 

 speak at once. 



195. In the experiment of speaking under water, 

 when the voice is reduced to such an extreme 

 exility, yet the articulate sounds, which are the 

 words, are not confounded, as hath been said. 



196. I conceive, that an extreme small or an ex 

 treme great sound cannot be articulate ; but that the 

 articulation requireth a mediocrity of sound : for 

 that the extreme small sound confoundeth the arti 

 culation by contracting; and the great sound by 



