THE WHALES. 35 



mission of sound through water, would be absolutely 

 useless when air is to be the transmitting medium. 



The manner in which this most difficult problem 

 not to say paradox is solved, is singularly beautiful, 

 and is simple as it is effective. It is done by a sort of 

 reversal of the ear. 



Perhaps the reader may not be aware that there 

 are two opposite openings in the ear namely, the 

 external opening, which we all know, and the internal 

 opening, called the eustachian tube, which passes 

 from the internal auditory organs to the back of the 

 mouth, just where the nostrils open into it. Some- 

 times this tube becomes choked; and in that case, 

 deafness often incurable is the result. 



Although so few persons, except those who have 

 studied anatomy, are aware of the existence of this 

 tube, we all unconsciously make use of it. For ex- 

 ample, if human beings are earnestly endeavouring to 

 catch sounds, and are forgetful of everything but 

 those sounds, they instinctively open the mouth, so as 

 to hear with the eustachian tube as well as with the 

 external orifices. Shakespeare, who seems to have 

 noticed everything, has not allowed this instructive 

 action to escape his observation. Speaking of the 

 rumours concerning Arthur's death, he writes as 

 follows : 



"I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus, 

 The whilst his iron did on the anvil cool, 

 With open mouth swallowing a tailor's news." 



Now, in the human ear, the eustachian tube is 

 very small in proportion to the external orifice; but 



