MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 
g«und» only the notes of the common 
chord with any precision, though sometimes 
we hear attempts made to diversify its mu- 
sic. It is a very loud instrument, and an- 
swers admirably lor its usual intentions ; 
namely, assembling the detachments of a 
corps, communicating signals to rangers, 
&c. The bugle varies in size, some being 
a full yard in length, measured along their 
curve, while others are scarcely a foot in 
length. The ox-horn is an instrument of 
very ancient invention; it was originally 
known among the Hebrews by the name of 
shawm. The krum horn, now become 
obsolete, was a small kind of cornet, whose 
tones were imitated on the organ, by what 
is generally called the cremona stop. We 
shall perhaps be correct in tracing all the 
instruments of the trumpet and horn spe- 
cies to the buccina, of which the antiquity 
is so remote that its form and intonation 
have been lost to us. The ancient writers 
describe it as a crooked horn ; we, how- 
ever, venture to suggest, that the sea-conch 
was the true buccina, and that horns, pro- 
perly so called, were used as substitutes 
where the conchs could not be obtained. 
The conchs sounded by the Hindoos through- 
out India, in their religious ceremonies, ap- 
pear to have been in use from the first 
institution of that religion, which claims a 
date far more removed tlian the time of 
Adam. The conch is extremely sonorous, 
throwing its shrill tones often to the distance 
of a mile or more. 
The Serpent, so called from its form, 
seems to be the link that connects the horn 
with the flute species; its mouth-piece is 
indeed very similar to that of the trumpet, 
but it is made of ivory. This is the deepest 
bass instrument of all that have finger-holes, 
and which, consequently, have a chromatic 
compass. But the serpent has some of its 
lowest notes entirely dependant on the 
embouchure, or lip-play, of the performer. 
This instrument descends two notes lower 
than the bassoon, and reaches up to F, on 
the clef line of the bass, with perfect faci- 
lity and correctness of intonation. Some 
performers can, by great practice, advance 
several notes higher. The serpent is made 
• of very thin wood, covered with buckram 
and leather, so as to become very firm; 
hence its tone is by no means smooth, the 
materials vibrating so very forcibly as to 
roughen the sounds, especially among the 
low notes. It has six finger holes, each 
lined with ivory, ebony, &c. requiring a 
very firm hand to stop them well, This 
instrument forms an exact reinforcement 
to the basses of a military band, to which 
it is chiefly appropriated. 
The Bassoon, or Fagotto, is the common 
bass for wind instruments ; its compass ex- 
tends from double B flat up to B flat in the 
middle of the treble stave. This great 
range is effected by the aid of a double 
elastic reed, which tits on to a brass serpen- 
tine crook, that gradually becoming thicker 
enters the top of the instrument. The 
sound is forced through the instrument in 
the first instance downwards, but re-as- 
cends through a thicker parallel tube, on 
which are six holes for the middle fingering : 
the lower notes are made by a variety of 
keys and holes, which are managed by both 
the thumbs, and by the little finger of the 
right hand. The ample extent of its range 
gives tlie bassoon much importance, espe- 
cially as it is perfectly chromatic through- 
out; the great similitude of its tone to 
a good bass voice renders it a most valu- 
able accompaniment ; the softness and the 
fine expression it is capable of producing 
occasion our best dramatic and lyric com- 
posers to avail themselves of its powers, 
and to allot to it many of the most pleas- 
ing passages in overtures, &c. The finger- 
ing of the bassoon is, however, extremely 
difficult ; it requires mnch practice, and a 
kind of penchant for the instrument, to 
enable the performer to display its full 
scope, its delicate flute-like intonations, 
and to give a brilliancy to the wonderful 
execution of which it admits. It is a great 
pity that very very few bassoons are per- 
fectly in tune ,; those made by Barker, 
Wood, Millhouse, and Cramer, are gene- 
rally preferred. When the common wooden 
nozzle, or top, is exchanged for a copper 
trumpet, or bell mouth, the sounds are 
much reinforced, and partake something of 
the intonation of a horn. There have been 
many varieties of this instrument, the prin- 
cipal of which are as follow : The bom- 
bardo, or dulcino, which was formerly used 
as a bass to the hautboy ; the bassoonette, 
which is an octave higher than the bassoon, 
but exactly similar ; the courtant, or short 
bassoon, which was made either tor right or 
left handed performers ; this appears to 
have been a very ancient instrument, and 
probably was the basis of that now in ge- 
neral use. The most curious of this tribe 
is the cervelet, now but little known, ex- 
cept by description ; it was very short, 
scarcely indeed more than half a foot in 
length, and was blown with a double reed. 
