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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



405 



cannot hear certain sounds, which others 

 perceive distinctly. It is well known, that 

 persons affected with slight deafness, hear 

 sharp sounds much better than those which 

 are grave and low. They distinguish the 

 voices of women and children, from their 

 acuteness, much better than the lower tones 

 of men's voices. This fact is acted upon 

 practically ; as it may be remarked that those 

 accustomed to speak to deaf people, use a 

 shriller tone of voice, rather than merely a 

 louder tone than common. 



This partial deafness may be artificially 

 produced, by shutting the mouth and nose, 

 and exhausting the air in the Eustachian 

 tube, by forcible attempts to take breath, in 

 expanding the chest. When this is carefully 

 done, so that the exhaustion of the air behind 

 the drum of the ear is as complete as possi- 

 ble, the external air is felt strongly, and even 

 painfully, pressing on the drum ; and the ear 

 becomes insensible to low sounds, though 

 shrill sounds are as readily perceived as be- 

 fore. 



After the ear is brought into this state, it 

 will remain so for some time, without con- 

 tinuing the painful effort to take breath, and 

 even without stopping the breath ; for, by 

 suddenly discontinuing the effort, the 

 end of the tube will close like a valve, 

 and prevent the air from getting into the 

 drum. The act of swallowing will open the 

 closed tube, and restore the ear to its wonted 

 feeling. 



W 7 hen the ear is thus exhausted, if we 

 attempt to listen to the sound of a carriage 

 passing in the street, the rumbling noise can- 

 not be heard ; though the rattle of a chain, 

 or a loose screw, remains as easily heard as 

 before. At a concert, the experiment has a 

 singular effect. As none of the sharper 

 sounds are lost, and the great mass of the 

 louder sounds are suppressed, the shriller 

 ones are so much the more distinctly heard, 

 — even to the rattling of the keys of a bad 

 instrument, or the scraping of catgut, un- 

 skilfully touched. 



In the natural healthy state of the ear, 

 there does not seem to be any strict limit to 

 our power of perceiving grave sounds. On the 

 contrary, if we turn our attention to the 

 opposite extremity of the scale, and, with a 

 series of pipes exceeding each other in sharp- 

 ness ; if we examine the effects of them, in 

 succession, upon the ears of any considerable 

 number of persons, — we shall find a very 

 distinct and striking difference between the 

 hearing of different individuals, whose ears 

 are, in other respeGts, perfect. 



The suddenness of the transition from per- 

 fect hearing to total want of perception, 

 occasions a degree of surprise ;' which renders 

 an experiment on this subject, with a series 

 of small pipes, among several persons, rather 



amusing. Those who enjoy a temporary 

 triumph, from hearing notes inaudible to 

 others, are often compelled, in their turn, to 

 acknowledge how short a distance their 

 superiority extends. 



Dr. Wollaston found, that one of his 

 friends was quite insensible to the sound of 

 a small organ-pipe, which was far within the 

 limits of his own hearing. He also once 

 heard a relation say, that she never could 

 hear the chirping of the hedge-cricket. 



AUTO-BIOGKAPHY OF A DOG.— No. VIII. 



WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. 



Dear Mr. Editor, — While my Brother 

 was sniffing and snoring under the beautifully- 

 spreading oak mentioned in my last, I strayed 

 some fifty paces sideways; and presently had a 

 fine view of the beast. What a sharp nose he 

 has got; and bless me, what a tail! 



Back, I ran, to Carlo. " Make haste," said I, 

 " and see with your own eyes." 



" What's the matter?" said Jean, as he caught 

 sight of the beast, and took an extra large pinch 

 of snuff. '* There's some sport for you — look 

 sharp." "Oh! I see him," said Carlo; "now, 

 gently there; don't be in a hurry. Don't run till 

 we get as near him as possible." 



" What do you call that beast, Jean?" said I. 



" C'est mi gros Eenard. Mon cher! look after 

 him!" 



Well, we sneaked along as well as we could. 

 But Kenard was not to be done. He smelt us, 

 and saw us too; and off lie bolted, — we after him, 

 leaping, jumping, springing, howling, squeaking, 

 like two great 'Nigauds.' Every one followed, 

 till,we lost sight of my friend in the thickest part 

 of the dense wood. We traced him, however, to 

 a most lovely valley, through which meandered 

 an enchanting stream of the clearest water — as 

 fresh and as cold as ice itself. On either side 

 arose immense rocks of the wildest and most fan- 

 tastic shapes; the sides being clothed with the 

 loveliest wild flowers. On their summits, and 

 here and there along the sides, grew some of the 

 most stupendous forest trees lever beheld. Theie 

 were also several singular caverns, only fit for the 

 habitations of bears and wolves. 



Upon my word, I went through with fear and 

 trembling; for although only hunting for Mon- 

 sieur Eenard, I fancied I smelt some rather dif- 

 ferent kinds of creatures. We did not, however, 

 give up the pursuit for a long while; but it was 

 all to no purpose. Cunning Renard had fairly 

 given us the slip, and was no doubt laughing at 

 us, with his little pointed nose poking out of some 

 snug cranny in the overhanging rocks. This 

 valley separates the forests of ' Vernand' and 

 ' Crissier.' So we struck to the right, and made 

 our way to the top, taking a number of caterpil- 

 lars and some beautiful specimens of those noble 

 satyrs " Circe " and " Hermione." Our attention 

 was now arrested by a sudden halt of the music- 

 master before a beech tree. 



" So wahr ich lebe," exclaimed he half stupi- 

 fied and half frightened. "So wah'r ich lebe," 

 (here's a lobster feeding on a beech tree.) 



