fuch a Diftemper, from fuch a Caufe, and that Nobody ever remembers a fingle Inftance of fuch a Thing; and, laftly, that there is no Spider to be found in that Country different from those which are common in most warm Climates.

Euphrof. If this be the Cafe, how ftrangely have your great Philofophers, Phyficians, and Divines been impofed upon, by fo trifling a Thing as the fabulous Story of the Tarantula.- Does it not argue them to have been equally indolent and credulous?

-Was

it not in their Power, 100 Years ago, to have detected this Impofture:- -Should not this prove a Leffon of Inftruction to the Virtuofi of the next Generation, to be more circumfpect in their Enquiries into the Powers of Nature, and not to be credulously affenting to every vulgar Report, to the no fmall Difgrace of their high Reputation?Laftly, I think you have faid enough for a Memento to the great Gentlemen of your own Sex, who are apt to value themselves fo much on their fuperior Wifdom and Abilities, to be very moderate, for the Future, in their Reflections on the Weaknefs and Credulity of ours, fince learned Men, as well as filly Women, it seems, can, for Centuries together, believe and acquiefce in such an old Woman's Story.—You forgive me, Cleonicus, thefe general Reflections, as you cannot but know they are highly due from our Sex, for the many genteel Strictures we daily receive from the Literati of yours.

Cleon. I think, my Euphrofyne, all that you have faid is but too just a Retaliation, and you are certainly very right in fo equitable a Vindication of the Honour and Character of the Ladies in general:-But, at prefent, we shall put an End to this Converfation, and, in our next, proceed to confider of thofe Organs with which Nature has furnished all Animals, and, in Particular, the human Specics, both for forming and uttering of Sounds, as well as for perceiving and hearing the fame.

DIALOGUE XXIII.

On the ORGANS furnished by NATURE, for forming and variously modifying Animal NOTES, and Voice, or SPEECH in the human Species.

I

Euphrofyne.

Am not very clear in the Subject of our present Converfation, Cleonicus; I remember you told me, when we laft parted, that you fhould next difcourfe with me upon the natural Organs of Voice, or Speech, and, in general, how all animal Notes, or Sounds, are thereby formed and modulated. How am I to have a clear and diftinct Idea of this natural Organization for forming and emitting animal Sounds?

Cleon. In this Affair, my Euphrofyne, I apprehend you will meet with very little Difficulty, fince all the Parts of the general Organ for forming animal Sounds are fuch as you are well acquainted with, by daily Obfervation and Inspection.- Indeed, the Parts of this Organ are not folely appropriated to this Use; but, like many other Parts of the animal Syftem, they are wifely defigned, by the Author of Nature, to answer many Purposes, and to perform different Functions in the animal Oeconomy.- -The Parts of the vocal Organ are as follow, (1.) The Lungs. (2.) The Trachea, or Wind-pipe. (3.) The Larynx, which is the Upperpart of the Wind-pipe. (4.) The Epiglottis, which lies over the Aperture, or Mouth of the Larynx. (5.) The Uvula, which hangs from the Palate at the End of the Paffage of the Nofe. (6.) The Tongue. (7.) The Teeth. (8.) The Lips. These are all the principal Parts concerned in the Formation of animal Sounds.

Euphrof. Thefe feem to me to be hard anatomical Names, many of them; but, I fuppofe, the Things themselves will be eafier to be underftood: And, farther, as we obferve in every different Species of Animals a peculiar Note, or Tone of Voice, or Sounds, which they naturally emit, therefore, in each of them, we are

to

to fuppofe there is a peculiar Difpofition and Configuration of those Parts, to answer fuch different Modulations of Sounds.

Cleon. No doubt is to be made of this; for though the Parts may be effentially the fame in all, yet their Shape, their Size, and their different Apparatus of Muscles, and many other Circumftances, may be infinitely varied in the numberless Species of Animals, and thereby an endless Variety of animal Sounds, Notes, or Voice is producible.— It is by this Means, that each Species has its peculiar Note.--Thus, the Dog Barks, -the Cat Mews, the Cock Crows,

the Doves Coo,- -the Sheep Bleats,
the Lion Roars;

--

but

the Cow Lowes, MAN alone SPEAKS.- -It is obfervable, that the Fish alone, though they have many Parts of the aforesaid Organ, are yet entirely mute, or incapable of emitting any Note.

Euphrof. You will next, Cleonicus, please to let me know the particular Office which each of these Parts perform in the Formation of animal Voice, or Sound,

Cleon. The LUNGS, which I have mentioned as the firft and principal Part, are, in this Refpect to the Animal, as the Bellows and Air-box is to an Organ; that is to fay, by them the Air is infpired, or drawn into the Lungs in a fufficient Quantity by their Dilatation, as may fuffice not only for Refpiration, or Breathing; (which is their general Function) but alfo, by their Compreffion, to give a proper Impulfe to the Air requifite for the intended Intenfity of the Sound, or, in other Words, by a greater or lefs Compreffion of the Lungs we can exprefs the Air through the Wind-pipe with different Degrees of Force, and thereby raife, or lower the Voice, as Occafion requires: In fhort, the Lungs are the general Magazine of Air for all the numerous Purposes in the animal Oeconomy, of which, this of the Voice may be juftly reckoned in the fecond Degree.

Euphrof. Is this important Organ formed alike in all Animals, Cleonicus?

Cleon. I have obferved fome very confiderable Difference in the Formation of this Part, in the Accounts

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which

which Naturalifts give us of it; but I fhall refer you, for further Satisfaction in this Point, to a most noble and valuable Work, viz. the anatomical Part of the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, from the Year 1666 to 1699, where you will find not only the best Iconifms of all the capital Beafts, Birds, Reptiles, Serpents, &c. that has been ever publifhed, but a particular Account of all their Parts by a Diffection of each: And if you read it in French, it will at the fame Time be an Improvement of your Knowledge in that Language.

Euphro. I thank you for your kind Direction and Advice: I fhall take the firft Opportunity for procuring fuch useful Treatifes.-Pray, what is the next Part conducive to the Formation of Sounds?

Cleon. The fecond great Part in the Organ for animal Notes, or Sounds, is the Trachea or WIND-PIPE.I have obferved to you that, in all Wind-inftruments, Pipes of one Form or other are neceffary; but the Windpipe is most fitly compared to the Pipe of an Organ; and as it ferves only for the Conveyance of the Air to the upper-part, or Larynx, it is of different Sizes, peculiarly adapted for expreffing the different Sounds in Various Species of Animals. A larger Account of this Part you will find in Dr. Grew's Cofmologia Sacra, or Mr. Derham's Phyfico Theology, both which Books are highly worthy of Perufal: But one Thing I cannot omit mentioning to you, as it is an Argument of the moft obvious Defign and wife Contrivance, viz. that as this Part lies immediately in the Fore-part of the Throat, and bares on its Hind-part upon the Oefophagus, or Gullet, by which our Food defcends into the Stomach; and as it confifts of Cartilaginous Annuli, or Rings, thefe, left they fhould bare hard on the Gullet, are difcontinued or broke off on the hinder Part, where it is altogether foft and membranous, as you may remember - oftentimes to have feen, in this Part, in a Dish that frequently comes to your Table.

Euphrof. I fhall take more particular Notice of this Part the next Time I fee it, as it is fo highly deferving thereof.Pray, what is the next Part concerned?

Cleon. The LARYNX, I mentioned to you as the third Part of the complex Mechanifm for animal Voice:

This Part is no lefs ufeful, than wonderful in its particular Structure; it is placed on the upper Part of the Windpipe in the Throat, it may juftly be confidered as the moft mufical Part of the whole Organ, as it is particularly adapted to modulate or vary the Sound, or Voice, in every refpect, that any particular Animal is capable of: For this Purpofe, it confifts of no less than five very curious cartilaginous Parts, all moved and actuated by particular Mufcies appropriated to each. In the human Species, this Part has a peculiar Configuration, and is one of that infinite Number, in the human Fabric, that might juftly excite the devout Exclamation of the Pfalmift.* In the before-mentioned Authors you will find a great Variety in the Conftruction of this Part in different Species of Animals: In fhort, the Larynx answers to the Mechanifin in the lower Part of an Organpipe, or Mouth-piece in Flutes, for modulating the Ingrefs and Egrefs of the Air in Speaking, Singing, &c. Euphrof. So far I have at least a general Idea of the organical Parts of Speech. Pray, what is the next which follows, contributing to this End:

Cleon. The next, or fourth Part, is the EPIGLOTTIS, fo called, as being fomething in the Form of a little Tongue lying over the Rimula, or Mouth of the Larynx, always raised a little above it by an elaftic Mufcle, fe that when the Aliments glide over it into the Oefophagus, it closes the Mouth of the Larynx fo that nothing may get down the Wind-pipe; but when they are paft it, it rifes again by its natural Refort. This anfwers to that particular moveable Piece in the German Flute, Organ-pipes, &c. by which the Rimula, or Paffage for the Air, is made greater or less for the proper Modulation of the intended Note, or Tone of the Sound: But this Part in the animal Structure as much exceeds the other, as the Voice, or Notes of Animals is an Effect fuperior to the Notes of a common Pipe: The manifeft Defign and Contrivance of this Part being beyond Admiration itself.

Euphrof. The Part which you have now defcribed, I apprehend, is concerned in the original Production and

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Pfalm cxix. ver. 14.

Modi