inaudible by certain ears. gn 
sounds, I remarked in one of my friends a total insensibility 
to the sound of a small organ pipe, which, in respect to acute- 
ness, was far within the limits of my own hearing, as well 
as of others of our acquaintance. By subsequent examina- 
tion, we found that his sense of hearing terminated at a note 
four octaves above the middle E of the piano-forte. This 
note he seemed to hear rather imperfectly, but he could not 
hear the F next above it, although his hearing is in other 
respects as perfect, and his perception of musical pitch as 
correct as that of any ordinary ears. 
The casual observation of this peculiarity in the organ of 
hearing, soon brought to my recollection a similar incapacity 
in a near relation of my own, whom I very well remember 
to have said, when I was a boy, that she never could hear 
the chirping that commonly occurs in hedges during a 
summer’s evening, which I believe to be that of the gryllus 
campestris. 
I have reason to think that a sister of the person last 
alluded to had the same peculiarity of hearing, although 
neither of them were in any degree deaf to common sounds. 
The next case which came to my knowledge was in some 
degree more remarkable, in as much as the deafness in all 
probability extended a note or two lower than in the first 
instance. This information is derived from two ladies of 
my acquaintance, who agree that their father could never 
hear the chirping of the common house sparrow. This is 
the lowest limit to acute hearing that I have met with, and I 
believe it to be extremely rare. Deafness even to the chirp- 
ing of the house cricket, which is several notes higher, is not 
common. Inability to hear the piercing squeak of the bat 
