MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. 
and by the calamus, or reed, our flutes have 
attained to the compass of nearly three 
octaves, commencing with the tenor C, and 
reaching np to double B flat in alt, includ- 
ing every chromatic, in various degrees of 
intonation. Flute-playing is now absolutely 
a science ; and, properly speaking, demands 
some knowledge of the theory ; for to ac- 
company well requires an acquaintance with 
the intended effect of particular keys, and 
to form an accompaniment from an arpeg- 
gio, or other such passages as a flutist must 
often do at sight, includes a familiarity with 
the general rules of counterpoint. We 
have now flutes with no less than eight 
keys. From them the various notes are 
formed, aided by the six holes appropriated 
to the regular fingering of the instrument, 
as originally invented ; viz. with only one 
key, appropriated to the little finger of the 
right hand. We have flutes with extra joints, 
patent slides, patent metallic plugs, &d. ; 
3'et, strange to say, it is absolutely a very 
rare thing to hear a flute in perfect tune. 
Tire fault, howevdr, not unfrequently lies 
with the performer, who should possess an 
excellent ear : for, though the notes are 
supposed to be ready made, according to 
the directed fingerings, yet so much depends 
on his embouchure and his manner of blow- 
ing, that there remains almost as much for 
him as for the violin player, towards pro- 
ducing truly correct intonations. The sweet 
mellow tone of the German-flute adapts it 
admirably to those passages requiring ten- 
der expression ; its swell renders it capable 
of yielding an efficient and a graceful hold- 
ing note ; while the warbling of its shake 
seems to rival the feathered songster. We 
regret often to hear these qualities most 
egregiously misapplied, and, indeed, neg- 
lected, to make way for a very uncharac- 
teristic flittering of the notes, in hurried 
succession, and in a very absurd style : the 
promiscuous applause of a wondering au- 
dience is frequently bestowed on a perfor- 
mer, whose quibbles on this instrument 
should rather be discountenanced. AFhat 
the flute can do should be reserved for 
solos on that instrument. 
The several kinds of flutes are distinguish- 
ed according to the number of keys, to 
their purposes, and to their sizes ; they are 
generally called seconds, thirds, &c. as they 
recede from the standard, diminishing gra- 
dually, according to the above terms. The 
smallest flutes are called piccolo, which im- 
plies diminutive: this kind may be some- 
times heard in military bands, in wduch it is 
often introduced with effect, but we have 
heard it too much employed by the com- 
poser. 
The Fife is a well-known instrument, al- 
most exclusively allotted to military pur- 
poses. Its scale is rather less copious than 
that of the flute ; and for want of keys, 
though of late years one has been added to 
some fifes, the chromatic progressious are 
extremely imperfect. 
The Pipe is very little knowh, except as 
a shrill accompaniment to the tabor, and in 
pastoral dances. Some pipes have two, 
others three holes above, and one for the 
thumb below ; all managed by the left hand, 
the right using the stick for the tabor, 
which is suspended from the wrist of the 
left hand. 
The Bagpipe is of two sorts ; viz. tlie 
Scots and the Irish : the former is filled by 
means of a wind-bag, carried under the arm, 
and worked like a pair of bellows; the 
other plays witli a reed, hke the hautboy. 
These two species have, within these few 
years, been blended, under the designation 
of the union-pipes ; both are fingered much 
the same as a flute, and have a drone, or 
open tube, through which the wind passes, 
causing a deep humming tone. The bag- 
pipe, however ancient many assert it to be, 
nevertheless appears to be derived from 
the old Gallic musette (which it in every in- 
stance resembles) ; as the musette was fi om 
the ancient Hebrew sampunia. Happily all 
this genus are rapidly declining. 
Having noticed the whole, if we err not, 
of the instruments in the second class, i. e. 
of inflation, n e shall close their description 
with observing, that in the organ building 
line the names of Lincoln and England have 
long been pre-eminent ; and that, in the 
manufacture of flutes, Mr. Potter has been 
justly celebrated. On the whole, however, 
we have great reason to believe that the 
wind instruments made by Messrs. Wood, 
Goulding, and Co. of New Bond-street, will 
be found excellent of their kind : the great 
extent of their sales, in that branch, evinces 
the satisfaction they give, and wdiich a very 
expensive establishment, of the best artifi- 
cers, seems likely to uphold. 
The class of collision seems to appertain 
exclusively to those instruments which are 
provided with strings, or wires, and are 
played upon by means of a piece of curved 
wood, subtending a quantity of horse hairs, 
regularly disposed in a flat and parallel 
manner; these we call bows; they are of 
various sizes, according to the instruments 
