CENTURY III. 139 



or glass, or water ; so is the ear a sinuous cave, with 

 a hard bone to stop and reverberate the sound ; 

 which is like to the places that report echoes. 



Experiments in consort touching the hindering or 

 he/ping of the hearing. 



283. When a man yawneth, he cannot hear so 

 well&quot;. The cause is, for that the membrane of the 

 ear is extended ; and so rather casteth off the sound 

 than draweth it to. 



284. We hear better when we hold our breath 

 than contrary : insomuch, as in all listening to attain 

 a sound afar off men hold their breath. The cause is 

 for that in all expiration the motion is outwards ; 

 and therefore rather driveth away the voice than 

 draweth it : and besides we see, that in all labour to 

 do things with any strength, we hold the breath;, 

 and listening after any sound that is heard with dif 

 ficulty, is a kind of labour. 



285. Let it be tried, for the help of the hearing, 

 and I conceive it likely to succeed, to make an in 

 strument like a tunnel ; the narrow part whereof 

 may be of the bigness of the hole of the ear ; and the 

 broader end much larger, like a bell at the skirts ; 

 and the length half a foot or more. And let the 

 narrow end of it be set close to the ear : and mark 

 whether any sound, abroad in the open air, will not 

 be heard distinctly from farther distance, than with 

 out that instrument ; being, as it were, an ear- 

 spectacle. And I have heard there is in Spain an 



