522 DIFFERENT KINDS OF VOICE. 



are of very different characters ; and may be distinguished 

 into the cry, the song, and the ordinary or acquired voice. 

 The cry is generally a sharp sound, having little modulation 

 or accuracy of pitch, and being usually disagreeable in its 

 timbre or quality. It is that by which animals express their 

 unpleasing emotions, especially pain or terror ; and the Hu- 

 man infant, like many of the lower animals, can utter no other 

 sound. In song, by the regulation of the vocal cords, definite 

 and sustained musical tones are produced, which can be 

 changed or modulated at the will of the individual. Different 

 species of Birds have their respective songs ; which are partly 

 instinctive, depending upon the construction of their larynx ; 

 and are partly governed by their education. In Man, the 

 power of song is entirely acquired ; but, when once acquired, 

 it is far more susceptible of variety and expression than that 

 of any other animal. In fact, the larynx of Man may be 

 said to be the most perfect musical instrument ever con- 

 structed. The voice is a sound more resembling the cry, in 

 so far as it does not consist of sustained musical tones ; but 

 it differs from the cry, both in the quality of its tone, and in 

 the modulation of which it is capable by the will. In ordi- 

 nary conversation, the voice passes through a great variety of 

 musical tones, in the course of a single sentence, or even a 

 single word, sliding imperceptibly from one to another; 

 and it is when we attempt to fix it definitely to a certain 

 pitch, that we change it from the speaking to the singing 

 tone. 



687. It is to the wonderful power that Man possesses, of 

 producing articulate sounds, which form a medium whereby 

 he can communicate ideas of any kind to his fellows, that 

 much of his superiority to other animals is due. Neverthe- 

 less, it is not to this alone that we must attribute it ; for many 

 animals, especially Birds, can produce, by imitation, sounds 

 as articulate as those of Man ; but the mind which originates 

 them, and which uses them as expressions of its ideas and 

 desires, is deficient. 



688. All spoken language is made up of a certain number 

 of elementary sounds, which are combined into syllables, words, 

 and sentences. It may be easily shown, upon arithmetical 

 principles, that from 20 or more of these elementary sounds, 

 an almost infinite variety of combinations may be produced ; 



