170 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 735 



by the player. That the flute is more sus- 

 ceptible to this influence than other instru- 

 ments is due to the fact that its tube is only 

 from 0.2 to 0.3 mm. thick, that is, half as 

 thick as the zinc walls of the experimental 

 ■pipe. The cylindrical shape of the tube 

 gives a mechanical stiffness which largely 

 prevents the transmission of influences 

 through the walls; nevertheless, it is con- 

 ceivable that the presence or absence of a 

 ferrule or of some support for a key might 

 cause the appearance or disappearance of 

 a partial tone, or put a harmonic partial 

 slightly out of tune. (The idea of experi- 

 menting with a flute of rectangular cross- 

 section occurred too late to be made use of 

 at this time.) 



The traditional influences of the different 

 metals on the flute are consistent with the 

 experimental results obtained from the 

 organ pipe. Brass and German silver are 

 usually so hard, brittle and stiff as to have 

 but little influence upon the air column, 

 and the tone is said to be hard and trumpet- 

 like. Silver is heavier and softer, and 

 adds to the mellowness of the tone. The 

 much greater softness and density of gold 

 adds still more to the soft-massiveness of 

 the walls, giving an approach to the organ 

 pipe surrounded by water, and permitting 

 a greater influence of the walls upon the 

 tone, and increasing the richness of tone by 

 augmenting the fullness of the partials, as 

 was the case with the organ pipe. That the 

 partials from the gold flute are actually 

 fuller than from other, is proved by the 

 photographic comparisons of wave forms 

 which are referred to in another communi- 

 cation. 



Mere massiveness of the walls does not 

 fulfill the desired condition; a heavy tube, 

 obtained from thick walls of brass, has such 

 increased rigidity as to produce an unde- 

 sirable result. The walls must be thin, soft 

 and flexible, and be made relatively massive 

 by increasing the density of the material. 



A tube of pure platinum would best fulfill 

 these conditions; a report upon the infiu- 

 enee of such a tube may be made later. 



The gold flute tube and the organ pipe 

 surrounded with water are, no doubt, sim- 

 ilar to the longer strings of the pianoforte 

 which have such rich quality ; these strings 

 are wound or loaded, making them massive, 

 while the flexibility or "softness" is un- 

 impaired. The organ pipe partly filled 

 with water is like a string unequally loaded, 

 its partials are out of tune and give a freak 

 tone. The flute, unfortunately of neces- 

 sity, is unequally loaded by its key mechan- 

 ism, and this no doubt accounts for the fact 

 always noticed by players, that certain 

 tones are full while others are poor or dull 

 in quality, or are liable to shrillness; the 

 skillful player covers these defects by his 

 art. This opinion is conflrmed by the fact 

 that the tone of flute tubes having no holes 

 or keys is influenced by the manner of hold- 

 ing the tube in the hands ; certain overtones 

 are difficult to produce till the points of 

 support of the tube have been shifted. 



(The question has been answered to the 

 writer's complete satisfaction by actual 

 musical trials, extending over four years, 

 with flutes of wood, hard rubber, glass, 

 brass, German silver, silver and gold. The 

 gold flute is, beyond all doubt, distinctly 

 superior ; its tone may be described as full, 

 rich, less shrill when sounded loudly, and 

 more liquid; the silver flute is more deli- 

 cate, and certainly simpler in quality, 

 which manifests itself as shrillness in the 

 loud and high tones.) 



The quantitative and photographic inves- 

 tigation of this question is not complete, 

 but one result of general application seems 

 conclusive. Perhaps the theory of Helm- 

 holtz has been very generally accepted, that 

 all tones of the same quality, that is, belong- 

 ing to the same register of any given instru- 

 ment, have a characteristic set of har- 

 monics, the proportional intensities of 



