The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-10-23
MUSIC MADE BY THE AZTEC PLAYERS FIageoIetS of Pottery Used by
 Their Musicians SOUND IN ANCIENT TOMB Flutes of Bones Were Used by the Aboriginal Tribes of Brazil-A
 Whistling Vase From
 Costa Rica.
SOUND IN ANCIENT TOMB

From the Washington Post.
 Among the many grotesque objects in the National museum, relics of a people who houri3hed on this continent prior to the Indians is unique collection of musical instruments, many of which, however weird in appearance, still give forth tones as sweet and clear as they did a thousand years or more ago. Nearly all of them are wind instruments, sim liar in principle to the modern ffageolet, and were found for the most part in Aztec tom9s. The material Is principally a fine speeIes of pottery, and the fiageo- lets are generally made in the shape of birds. Mr E. F. Upham, Tn whose de- partment the collection is. has devoted much labor to recording accurately the notes of the prehistoric instruments, test ing them with piano and violin.
 But one Of the lageolets was found to possess a range of notes in exact accord with the modern musical scale. Upon this little instrument MT. Upham is able to play There's Nae Luck Abut the House. as well as that simple melody could be | executed upon any modern musical con 1 tflNanee oI like nature.
 Costa Rican Whistling Vase. 1 A prehistoric whistling vase from Costa 1 Rica shows that a useful contrivance now in vogue IS by no means new. The shrill whisting sound emitted by the vase ceases when the liquid being poured into it reaches a certain height. The whstling oil can will be recalled as a modern utilization of fhis piinCiplp
 remarkable feature of the collection are some double flutes of bone used by the aboriginal inhabitants of Brazil. What makes these instruments especial ly notable in their resemblance to sim liar specimens found on the Pacific coast of North America, and. more wonderful still, to those discovered in Greece, some of which may be seen in the museum at Athens. These instruments are seen de- picted in ancient Grecian paintings the tones produced by those in the Smith sonian collection are singularly soft and mellow.
 Among the prehistoric bone flutes Is a specimen from an ancient grave near Lima, Peru 1t is formed of portion of the ulna of the brown pelican, the ends having been cut off and the cellular por- ton of the bone removed.
 Pan-Pipes of Reeds.
 Two interesting specimens exist in the collection, albeit much damaged, of pan pipes made of reeds. They were obtained by Ensign w. E. Stafford. U. S. N, from ancient burial places near Africa, Peru. The reeds are of graduated lengths, lash- ed together by threads and held in place by a piece of split reed fastened trans Versely to their length. These pipes are now so crushed and mutilated that pos ltive sound oannot be obtained from them That instruments of this kind are of an- clent origin and were in use by the Pe- ruvans before the Spanish conquest Is shown by the account of the historian Garcilasso de la Vega, who said:
 'ln music they Ghe Peruvians) arrived to a certain harmony. in which the in- habltants of Cola did more particularly excel, having been inventors of certain pipe made of canes glued together, every one of which having a different note of higher and lower. In the manner of or gans, made a pleasing music by the dis sonancy of sounds, the treble tenor and hass exactly corresponding and answer ing to each other; with these pipes they often payel in concert, and made toler- able music. though they wanted the quav- CTS, semi-quavers, airs and many voices which perfect the harmony among us.'