53 2 HORN CH. XXV 



length may be reduced to the more convenient 

 length of 24 or 25 inches by being doubled on 

 itself ; its tone is not materially changed. 



A horn made of hard brass has a better tone 

 than one made of copper, and the ' cornet' bell is 

 thought to give a sweeter tone than the conical or 

 ' bugle' bell. Ribs of brass or of german-silver 

 are sometimes soldered lengthwise on the horn to 

 strengthen it. 



Old coaching books speak of 'the yard of tin,' 

 meaning the horn ; a horn made of tin and only 

 36 inches long could not have been a very musical 

 instrument. 



On some coaches, in the early part of the 19th cen- 

 tury, the guard used a key bugle instead of a horn. 

 'Paddy Blake' {New Sporting Magazine, 1834, 

 p. 102) speaks of a coachman's having a horn in 

 his pocket. 



Owing to the limited number of its notes, few of 

 the well-known tunes can be played on the coach- 

 horn, but the calls can be varied indefinitely. 



Much practice is necessary to enable a person to 

 play the horn well ; useful hints and useful exercises 

 are contained in the three little books by Godden, 

 by Kohler, and by Yixov, the full titles of which 

 will be found in the ' List of Books' in the present 

 volume. 



