VOICE TIMBRE. 473 



ear be placed upon the chest, immediately over one of them, the voice 

 will appear to come directly up to the ear. The same thing happens, 

 if the stethoscope be used. In this case, when the extremity of the 

 instrument is applied over the vomica, the voice appears to pass 

 directly through the tube to the ear, so as to give rise to what has been 

 termed pectoriloquy. M. Adelon 1 conceives, that this distribution of 

 the sound along the trachea orporte-vent and the lungs may suggest that 

 the condition of these organs has some effect on the quality of the voice. 



In speaking of the timbre of the voice in different individuals, we 

 have had in view the natural quality, not that which is the result of 

 imitative action, and which can be maintained for a time only. Many 

 of the conditions, which have been described as regulating the timbre, 

 are voluntary, especially that of the shape of the vocal tube. In this 

 way we can modify the timbre and imitate voices different from our 

 own. The table d'hdte of many of the hotels of continental Europe is 

 enlivened by the presence of individuals, capable of not only imitating 

 various kinds of birds, but the timbres of different musical instruments; 

 and the success which attended the personation of the voices of public 

 speakers, by Matthews, Yates, and others, is sufficient evidence of 

 the fidelity of their representations. We see the difference between 

 the natural and imitative voice strongly exemplified in one of the 

 feathered songsters of our forests, turdus polyglottis or mocking-bird, 

 which is capable of imitating, not only the voices of different birds, but 

 sounds of other character, which cannot be regarded in the light of 

 accomplishments. 



There is a singular variety of the imitative voice, now employed only 

 for purposes of amusement but, of old, perhaps, used in the Pagan 

 temples, by the priests, to infuse confidence in the oracular dicta of the 

 gods which requires notice : this is engastrimism or ventriloquism. 

 Both these terms, by their derivation, indicate the views at one time 

 entertained of its physiology, namely, that the voice of the ventriloquist 

 is made to resound in the abdomen, in some inexplicable manner, so as 

 to give rise to the peculiarity it exhibits. This singular view seems to 

 have been once embraced by M. Richerand. 2 " At first," says he, " I 

 had conjectured, that a great part of the air expelled by expiration did 

 not pass out by the mouth and nostrils, but was swallowed and carried 

 into the stomach; and, being reflected in some part of the digestive 

 canal, gave rise to a real echo ; but, having afterwards more attentively 

 observed this curious phenomenon on Mr. Fitzjames, who exhibits it in 

 its greatest perfection, I was soon convinced that the name of ventrilo- 

 quism is by no means applicable." M. Richerand was probably the last 

 remnant of the supporters of the ancient vague hypothesis ; and his 

 views soon underwent conversion. 



Another, equally unfounded notion, at one time entertained, was, 

 that the ventriloquist possesses a double or triple larynx. It is now 

 admitted, that the voice is produced at the ordinary place, and is modi- 



1 Physiologie de 1'Homme, edit. cit.. ii. 204. 



a Siemens de Physiologie, edit. ISeme, par M. Berard aine, edit. Beige, cxciv. p. 300, 

 Bruxelles, 1837. 



