HEARING. 



33 



substances, like the lap of the ear, are well Known to 

 be bad conductors of sound. 



The utility of the external ear in making sound 

 distinctly heard, may be demonstrated by a very 

 simple experiment. Place the palms of the hands 

 closely on the ears, so as to press the windings of the 

 funnel flat to the temples, and the sounds which you 

 hear, instead of being distinct, will be confused and 

 humming, like the sound of running waters, or the 

 distant murmur of a forest. A similar effect will be 

 produced by interrupting the communication in any 

 other way, as in the amusement well known to 

 hildren of putting a univalve sea-shell to their ear 

 produce, as they imagine, the sound of the sea- 

 vaves breaking on the shore. It is worthy of remark, 

 hat the external ears of Europeans are much more 

 'at, and lie closer to the temples, than in savage 



