522 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. (September, 1911. 
isolated villages both in this and the Bhamo districts, whilst 
they extend as far south as Kengtung in the Southern Shan 
States. Eastwards they are met with in the Chinese Shan 
States, but never at any great distance from the frontier.! 
uring recent journeys in the Northern Shan States 1 
have obtained various specimens of the typical forms of Jew’s 
harps used by both Shans and Palaungs. Whilst the two 
types are almost identical, differing rather in size and work- 
manship than in design, they at the same time exhibit certain 
peculiarities of construction which do not appear to have been 
noticed before, and I, therefore, propose to record a description 
of them here. 
Fashioned from a piece of hard fibrous bamboo, the Shan 
Jew’s harp in my possession is 15-7 cms. long and is made up 
of the following sections :— 
(a) The end solid piece, 6 cms. long which is rounded for 
facility in holding. 
(b) eae chamber carrying in vibrating tongue 2°8 cms. 
(c) The part containing the movable central piece which 
is in continuation with the vibrating tongue and 
which is 5-4 cms. long. This part is cut away for 
4 cms. in order that a maximum amount of flexi- 
bility may be imparted to the central piece. 
(d) The solid part which connects the vibrating tongue 
with the spur and which is 5 cms. long. 
(e) The projecting spur itself 1 cm. long, round off to 
join (d), and cut away to a thickness of 1 mm. at 
the other end. By means of this spur the vibra- 
tions are set up. 
The width of the instrument is -8 mm. and its thickness 
ets On the outer side, two movable bamboo strips (/); 
less tha ems. long and -3 ems. in width with a thickness 
ORE Mite, are introduced into slits prepared for the 
meets These thin Pieces of bamboo are movable, and 
: is from beyond the edge of the vibrating tongue to where 
it thickens to become the central piece. The chamber in whic 
: b 
usually loaded with wax for the same purpose. A reference 60 
For a fuller account of th . : 
“ © Palaungs see the following papers: 
Lowis ein Pars Palaungs of Hsipaw and Tawnpeng,’’ by © 0. 
Some eiiscrna te aed Survey of India, Burma, No. I, ee on 
Proceedings, Univers} awnpeng Palaungs,’’ by J. Coggin ' 
Dp 18, @ University of Durham Philosophical Society, vol. iv, Pb by 
