S^aturall Hijlory : 



216 



Experiments 

 in Conforc 

 touching the 

 Medium of 

 Sounds. 

 217 



219 



2 20 



Experiments 

 in Confort 

 what the Fi- 

 gures of the 

 Pipes or Con- 

 caves, or the 

 Bodies deferent 

 conduce to the 

 Sounds. 



Sound more,than the like Thicknefs of Cloth. We fee alfo 5 in the Rumbling 

 of the Belly ,how eafily the Sound paffeth thorow the Guts,and Skin. 



It is worthy the Enquiry, whether Great Sounds, (As of Ordnance, or 

 Bels) become not more Weak and Exile, when they pafs thorow Small 

 Cranies. For the Subtilties of Articulate Sounds, (it may be) may pafs 

 thorow Small Cranies, not confufed But the Magnitude of the Sound 

 (peihaps,)not fo well. 



THe Mediums of Sounds are Air Soft and B or om Bodies ; A\(o Water, 

 And Bard Bodies refufe not altogether to be Mediums of Sounds. But 

 all of them are dull and unapt Defer w^,except the Air. 



In Air, the Thinner or Drier Air, carrieth not the Sound fo well, as the 

 more Denfe As appearethin Night Sounds And Evening Sounds And 

 Sounds in moift Weather, and Southern Winds. The reafon is already 

 mentioned in the Title of Ma] oration of Sounds Being, for thztThw Atr 

 is better pierced buiThick Air preferveth the Sound better from Wafte* 

 Let further Trial! be made by Hollowing in Mifts, and Gentle Showers: 

 For(it. may be) that will fomewhat dead the Sound. 



How farre forth Flame maybe a Medium of Sounds, (efpecially of fuch 

 Sounds as are created by Air, and not betwixt Hard Bodies) let it be tried, 

 in Speaking where a Bonfire is between But then you muft allow for fome 

 difturbance, the Noife that the Flame it felf maketh. 



Whether any other Liquours, being made Mediums, caufe a diverfity of 

 Sound from Water, it may be tried : As by the Knapping of the Tongs 3 Or 

 Striking the Bottome of a Veflell, filled either with Milk, or with Oil 

 which though they be more light, yet are they more unequall Bodies than 

 Air. 



of the Natures of the Mediums, we have now fioken 5 As for the Difpofiti- 

 on of the [aid Mediums, it doth con ft ft in the Penning, or not Penning of the 

 Air 5 Of which we have Jpoken before, in the Title of Delation of Sounds t 

 It con fijlethaljo in the Figure of the Concave, through which it fafjeth-j of 

 which we wiilffeak next. 



How the Figures of Pipes, or Concave s 9 through which Sounds 

 pafs 5 Or of other Bodies deferent ■ conduce to the variety and 

 Alteration of the Sounds -. Either in refpecl; of the Greater Quan- 

 tity j or lefi G^amity of Air, which the Concaves receive ; Or in 

 refpecl: of the Carrying of Sounds longer or fhorter way . Or in 

 refpecl: of many other Circt»m[lances, they have been touched/ 

 as falling into other Titles. But thofe Figures, which we now arc 

 to fpeak of, we intend to be>as they concern tfie Lines , through 

 which &wWpafieth . As Straight ; Crooked ; Angular . . Circularise. 



The Figure of a Bell partaketh of the Pyramis, but yet coming off, and 

 dilating more fuddenly. The Figure of a Hunters Home, and Cornet, is ob- 

 lique yet they have likewife Straight Homes : which if they be of the fame 

 Bore with the oblique, differ little in Sound : fave that the Straight require 

 fomewhat a ft ronger Blaft. The Figure of Recorders, and Flutes, and Fifes 

 are ftraight =, But the Recorder hath a lefs Bore, and a greater •, Above, and 

 below* The Trumpet hath the Figure of the Letter S : which maketh that 



Purling 



