MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 



171 



separately by covering first one and then the other vent-hole. Dr. W. J. Lamson 

 has about a dozen of these double whistles. 



In order to increase the range, it was necessary to pierce the air-chamber by 

 means of finger-holes. All the other instruments have from two to four of 

 them, the number of tones producible being always one more than the number 

 of holes. No account is taken of the tones 

 produced by increasing the force of the breath. 

 In the reed-shaped instruments, of which there 

 are two in the collection, additional range- is 

 produced by leaving the cylindrical chamber 

 open at the distal end. Figure 275 is an example. 

 Its range with the end of the chamber first complete- 

 ly closed and then entirely opened is expressed 

 in the scale accompanying the figure. 



The distal hole is so near the end as to be of 

 no use when the latter is open ; otherwise, two 

 more tones could be added, one with the distal 

 hole open and one with both open. Every pos- 

 sible tone between the lowest and highest in this 

 scale may be produced by only a partial closing 

 of the end, the pitch depending on the degree 

 of closing. This instrument is admirable in its 

 way, but it could have been improved ; first 

 by placing the distal finger-hole a little farther 

 from the end, and second, by adding a third 

 finger-hole nearer the mouthpiece. The colors, 

 black and red on a cream slip, are perfectly 

 preserved. The designs are grouped in two 

 zones and represent the oft-repeated alligator 

 motives, body-lines and body-markings. 



The collection includes three instruments that 

 differ from the flute type only in the form of the 

 chamber, which is top-shaped instead of cylindrical, 

 and in the size of the terminal opening, which 

 is relatively small. One of these from El Banco 

 is reproduced in figure 276. It is unpainted and 

 incised. The surface of the fine-grained paste is 

 blackened by handling. The vent-hole is at the 



base of a solid conical tip, on one side of which is attached a looped fillet of 

 clay, enclosing for only a part of its way the air-passage leading to the vent. 

 On the other side is a tiny frog in relief. In addition to the hole at the opposite 

 end, there are two finger-holes near the periphery, by means of which three 

 tones may be produced with the end-hole closed and three with the end-hole 

 open. Were it not for the eccentric position of the vent and the fillet enclosing 

 the air-passage of the mouthpiece, this specimen might be easily mistaken for a 

 spindle-whorl. 



Fig. 275. Reed-shaped whistle decorated 

 with alligator motives. Alligator 

 ware. '!< 



