Notices respecting New Boohs. 447 



of this with the actual anatomy of the ear, and the hypothesis as 

 to the function of the basilar membrane. I was, therefore, inter- 

 ested to hear not long ago from an eminent physiologist that 

 Helmholtz's main hypothesis in this direction must be abandoned, 

 on the ground that birds have no cochlea ; and we know that birds 

 have an accurate perception of musical pitch, as they can sing tunes. 

 I have therefore made inquiry, and I am satisfied that the most 

 recent work on the subject presents accounts of such essential 

 organs, including the membrana basilaris in remarkably complete 

 development, in the case of birds, as are at all events sufficient to 

 prevent this point being taken as a conclusive objection in limine. 

 Of course on the detail of an anatomical question I should not 

 venture an opinion. 



I have always thought that the account of the origin of difference 

 tones of the higher orders given in the text is unsatisfactory. It 

 is inconceivable that where, for instance, the primary difference 

 tone is so faint as to be inaudible, a higher tone should be due to 

 its reaction with one of the original notes. Elsewiiere I have 

 attempted to give what I believe to be a correct account of this 

 matter. This point has certainly been one of those which have 

 been seized upon with most success by those who have objected to 

 Helmholtz's doctrines in general. 



Passing over many points which deserve mention, we may 

 endeavour to form an opinion as to the nature of the general 

 results, as embodied in ch. xix., headed " Results of the Investi- 

 gation/' and " Esthetical Relations." I cannot help feeling that on 

 this ground the results of the physical investigation, highly inter- 

 esting as they are in themselves, seem to fail us. After all we 

 cannot get behind the natural feeling for the beauty of melodic 

 phrase. Or, as Helmholtz says (pp. 366-7), " What is esthetically 

 beautiful is recognized by the immediate judgment of a cultivated 

 .taste, which declares it pleasiug or displeasing, without comparison 

 with any law or any independent conception." This last phrase 

 represents the meaning of the original as I understand it. The 

 version in the present edition seems to me not quite correct ; and 

 it is hard to understand, as the sense in which the word ' concep- 

 tion ' is used is not sufficiently indicated by the context. I think 

 that the education of the ear by custom plays a much more 

 important part in the whole subject than is assigned to it in this 

 work. And important as the esthetics of melody may be as 

 expounded in ch. xix., I cannot feel that I am much the wiser 

 for them, in the sense of knowing to which of the endowments of 

 the organism I am to look for the secret of the perception of 

 melodic beauty as expressed in the above quotation. 



Mr. Ellis's part of the work is, as usual, very complete. If a 

 remark is admissible, I should say that the notes are a little over- 

 done. However, no doubt it is better to err on the side of copious 

 information. Mr. Ellis's Appendix contains a quantity of matter 

 of interest. I may particularly mention the complete history of 

 musical pitch, well known as a paper read before the Society of 



