voice emanating from a doll: “I press my tongue against the teeth, and thus circumscribe a cavity between my left cheek and teeth, in which the voice is produced by the air held in reserve in the pharynx. The sounds thus receive a hollow and muffled tone, which causes them to appear to come from a distance." The Baron furthermore mentions that it is essential to have the breath well under control, and not to respire more than can be avoided.

A person having an ear acutely perceptive to the nice distinctions of sounds, may, by a little practice, imitate many sounds with accuracy. Those persons, however, who are highly endowed with the mental requisites, which consist of an intense desire to mimic, coupled with the ability to originate mimetic ideas, are able to imitate sounds at first hearing.

We next proceed to treat of those illusions, where the voice so perfectly counterfeits the reality intended, that it appears not to issue from the mimic, but from an appropriate source, in whatever direction and at whatever distance the source may be. We do not hear the distance which a sound has travelled from its source, but we judge the distance from our former experience, by comparing the loudness which we hear with the known distance and known loudness of similar sounds heard on former occasions. Common experience will prove that we oftener err in estimating the distance of uncommon than of familiar sounds. In apology for such an error, the ordinary language is, "It seemed too loud to come so far," or "It seemed too near to be so faint a sound," as the case may be,-both of which are apologies for an erroneous judgment, and not for faulty hearing. Near sounds are louder than distant ones. Now, by preserving the same pitch, quality, and duration, but with an accurately graduated reduction of loudness, a series forming a perspective of sounds may be created, which, falling in succession on the ear, will suggest to the mind a constantly increasing distance of the sound's source. The estimate, then, which is formed of the distance which a sound has travelled before reaching the ear is a judgment of the mind formed by comparing a present perception (by hearing) with the remembrance of a former loudnes in connexion with its known distance. With regard to direction, it is observed, "The direction whence a sound comes seems to be judged of by the right or left ear receiving the stronger impression, which, however, can only take place when the sound's source is in a plane, or nearly so, with a line passing through both ears. It is familiarly known that a person in a house cannot by the noise of an approaching carriage judge with certainty whether it is coming from the right or left. He accurately judges it to be approaching, passing, or receding, as the case may be, by the gradations of loudness, but is unable to decide with certainty whether its approach or recession is from up or down the street. Enough has been stated to show that we do not hear, but that we judge the direction a sound has travelled from its source on reaching the car." The ventriloquist indicates, either directly or indirectly, the direction from which he wishes his audience to believe the sound is coming. Thus he directly indicates it by words, such as, "Are you up there?" "He is up the chimney," "He is in the cellar," "Are you down there?" &c., as illustrated in the various examples. He indirectly indicates it by some suggestive circumstance, as an action or gesture, which is so skilfully unobtrusive and natural as to effect its object without being discovered. Thus, when the ventriloquist looks or listens in any direction, or even simply turns towards any point, as if he expected sound to come thence, the attention of an audience is by that means instantly directed also to the same place. Thus, before a sound is pro

duced, the audience expect it to come in the suggested direction; and the ventriloquist has merely, by his adjustment of vocal loudness, to indicate the necessary distance, when a misjudgment of the audience will complete the illusion which he has begun.

The effect which is produced on sound by its travelling from a distance is observed to be:

1. That its loudness is reduced in proportion to its distance.

2. That its pitch remains unaltered.

3. That its quality or tone is somewhat altered.

4. That its duration remains unaltered.

5. That the human speech is somewhat obscured, chiefly in the consonani sounds.

It must be remembered that the ventriloquist makes the sound, not as it is heard at its source, but as it is heard after travelling from a distance.

PRACTICAL ILLUSTRATIONS.

No. I.

THE VOICE IN THE CLOSET.

This is the voice in which Mr. Frederic Maccabe, the celebrated mimic and ventriloquist, excels; and the clever manner in which he can adopt it off-hand, as it were, will be best illustrated by the fact mentioned to us by a gentleman (whom we will call Mr. B.), in Mr. Maccabe's presence. Mr. B., who was an invalid, suffering from some nervous disorder, originating from overwork and anxiety, was travelling in Ireland in search of health, and when on his way from Dublin to Cork, he lay exhausted in a corner of the railwaycarriage, muffled up in cloaks and wrappers in a paroxysm of pain. At Mallow, two gentlemen entered the carriage, one of whom was in exuberant spirits, and commenced telling some amusing anecdotes. At length the porter came to collect the tickets. They were all handed in but one, when the following colloquy ensued:

Porter. A gentleman hasn't given me his ticket.

Gentleman. Bill, in the next compartment, has the ticket (tapping at the partition). Haven't you, Bill?

The imaginary Bill, who appeared to be suffering from a severe cold, replied that he had, and the porter would not take it. The official went off to find the ticket, but Bill, in the meantime, had vanished. Back came the porter, and indignantly demanded the ticket. He was interrupted by a shrill voice in the opposite compartment, crying, "Porter! porter! why don't you come and take the ticket? there's some one insulting me!" Away went the chivalric porter, to come back puzzled and chafed to receive the ticket, which was handed to him. His hand had not reached the coveted piece of pasteboard, ere the yell of a terrier under the wheels caused the porter to draw back, amid bursts of laughter, during which the ticket was thrown out, and the train moved on. And Mr. Frederic Maccabe stood confessed, but not penitent.

VOICE NO. 1.-To acquire this voice, which we so name for distinction's sake, speak any word or sentence in your own natural tones; then open the mouth and fix the jaws fast, as though you were trying to hinder any one from opening them farther or shutting them; draw the tongue back in a ball; speak the same words, and the sound, instead of being formed in the mouth, will be formed in

the pharynx. Great attention must be paid to holding the jaws rigid. The sound will then be found to imitate a voice heard from the other side of a door when it is closed, or under a floor, or through a wall. To ventriloquize with this voice, let the operator stand with his back to the audience against a door. Give a gentle tap at the door, and call aloud in the natural voice, inquiring, "Who is there?" This will have the effect of drawing the attention of the audience to a person supposed to be outside. Then fix the jaw as described, and utter in voice No. 1 any words you please, such as "I want to come in." Ask questions in the natural voice and answer in the other. When you have done this, open the door a little, and hold a conversation with the imaginary person. As the door is now open, it is obvious that the voice must be altered, for the voice will not sound to the ear when a door is open the same as when closed; therefore the voice must be made to appear face to face, or close to the ventriloquist. To do this, the voice must not be altered from the original note or pitch, but be made in another part of the mouth. This is done by closing the lips tight, and drawing one corner of the mouth downwards, or towards the ear. Then let the lips open at that corner only, the other part to remain closed. Next breathe, as it were, the words out of the orifice formed. Do not speak distinctly, but expel the breath in short puffs at each word, and as loud as possible. By so doing, you will cause the illusion in the minds of the listeners that they hear the same voice which they heard when the door was closed, but which is now heard more distinctly and nearer on account of the door being open. This voice must always be used when the ventriloquist wishes it to appear that the sound comes through an obstacle, but from some one close at hand. The description of voice and dialogue may be varied as in the following example:

Ex. I. THE SUFFOCATED VICTIM.-This was a favourite illustration of Mr. Love, the polyphonist. A large box or closed cupboard is used indiscriminately, as it may be handy. The student will rap or kick the box, apparently by accident. The voice will then utter a hoarse and subdued groan, apparently from the box or closet.

Student (pointing to the box with an air of astonishment). What was that? Voice. Oh! let me out.

Student. Why, there is some one here, I declare. (To box) Who is it? Voice. I won't do so any more. I am nearly dead.

Student. Who are you? How came you there?

Voice. I only wanted to see what was going on. Let me out, do.

Student. But I don't know who you are.

Voice. Oh, yes, you do.

Student. Who are you?

Voice. Your old schoolfellow, Tom

Student. Why, he's in Canada.

You know me.

Voice (sharply). No, he ain't, he's here; but be quick.

Student (opening the lid). Perhaps he's come by the underground railroad. Hallo!

Voice (not so muffled as described in direction). Now, then, give us a hand. Student (closing the lid or door sharply). No, I won't.

Voice (as before). Have pity (Tom, or Jack, or Mr.

or I shall be choked.

Student. I don't believe you are what you say.

as the case may be),

Voice. Why don't you let me out and see before I am dead?

Student (opening and shutting the lid or door, and varying the voice accordingly). Dead; not you! When did you leave Canada?

Voice. Last week. Oh, I am choking!

Student. Shall I let him out? (Opening the door) There's no one here. 2. THE MILKMAN AT THE DOOR.-This affords a capital opportunity of introducing a beggar, watercress or milkman, and may be varied accordingly. We will take Skyblue, the milkman; and we would impress on the student that, although we give these simple dialogues, they are merely intended as illustrations for the modest tyro, not to be implicitly followed when greater confidence and proficiency are attained.

Voice. Milk below!

Student. Is it not provoking that the milkman always comes when he is not wanted, and is absent when we are waiting for the cream?

Voice (whistling a bar of" Polly Perkins").

Student. Oh, yes, always the broken-hearted milkman; as if he was not as happy as a king.

Voice (nearer). Mifk below! Why, Sally, where's the can?

Student. Sally will be long in answering, I think.

Voice. Sally's gadding with the police.

Milk below!

Student (slightly opening the door). We don't want any milk, my good man. Voice. No skim milk for the cat, or cream for tea?

Another Voice. Watercresses!

Student. Really this is intolerable. Go away.

Voice. You owe me threepence for last week's milk. I was to wait.

Student. This is intolerable; I'll send for the police.

Voice (ironically). Send for Sally and p'lice; I'll foller.

Student. Impudent rascal!

Voice. Keep your compliments at home, Master Idlebones.

Student (opening the door). I'll report you to your master.

Voice (louder as the door is opened). Will you, young whipper-snapper, pay us the thruppence, and let us go?

Student offers to pay, while the voice gets weaker in the distance with "milk below!" until it becomes inaudible.

A conversation may be held in a similar strain with the cellarman; and, as a rule, the lower notes of the voice will be best for voices in the basement, and formed as low in the chest as possible.

Student. Thomas, are you coming?

Voice below (gruffly). I should think I was.

Student. We are waiting for the beer.

Voice (partly aside). The longer you wait, the greater our honour. Mary, have another drop?

Student. Why, the scamp is drinking the beer! Thomas, who's there with you?

Voice. Myself! (Aside) Make haste with the pot, Mary; he's in such a hurry!

Student. You drinking rascal! how dare you?

Voice. Coming, sir. The barrel's nearly empty.

Student. I should think so, tippling as you are at it.

Voice. Now, don't be saucy.

Student. The fellow's getting intoxicated. Thomas!

Voice. Wait till I come. I have waited for you many times.

Student. I suppose it is of no use hurrying you?

Voice. No, it isn't, my young tippler. I'm COMING! coming!! coming!!! From this illustration the student may proceed to try the second voice.

No. II.

VOICE NO. 2.-This is the more easy to be acquired. It is the voice by which all ventriloquists make a supposed person speak from a long distance, or from or through the ceiling. In the first place, with your back to the audience, direct their attention to the ceiling by pointing to it, or by looking intently at it. Call loudly, and ask some question, as though you believed a person to be concealed there. Make your own voice very distinct, and as near the lips as possible, inasmuch as that will help the illusion. Then in exactly the same tone and pitch answer; but, in order that the voice may seem to proceed from the point indicated, the words must be formed at the back part of the roof of the mouth. To do this, the lower jaw must be drawn back and held there, the mouth open, which will cause the palate to be elevated and drawn nearer to the pharynx, and the sound will be reflected in that cavity, and appear to come from the roof. Too much attention cannot be paid to the manner in which the breath is used in this voice. When speaking to the supposed person, expel the words with a deep, quick breath. When answering in the imitative voice, the breath must be held back, and expelled very slowly, and the voice will come in a subdued and muffled manner, little above a whisper, but so as to be well distinguished. To cause the supposed voice to come nearer by degrees, call loudly, and say, "I want you down here," or words to that effect. At the same time make a motion downwards with your hand. Hold some conversation with the voice, and cause it to say, "I am coming," or, "Here I am," each time indicating the descent with the hand. (See examples.) When the voice is supposed to approach nearer, the sound must alter, to denote the progress of the movement. Therefore let the voice, at every supposed step, roll, as it were, by degrees, from the pharynx more into the cavity of the mouth, and at each supposed step contracting the opening of the mouth, until the lips are drawn up as if you were whistling. By so doing, the cavity of the mouth will be very much enlarged. This will cause the voice to be obscured, and so appear to come nearer by degrees. At the same time, care must be taken not to articulate the consonant sounds plainly, as that will cause the disarrangement of the lips and cavity of the mouth; and in all imitation voices the consonants must scarcely be articulated at all, especially if the ventriloquist faces the audience. For example: suppose the imitative voice is made to say, "Mind what you are doing, you bad boy," it must be spoken as if it were written, "ind ot you 're doing, you 'ad whoy."* This kind of articulation may be practised by forming the words in the pharynx, and then sending them out of the mouth by sudden expulsions of the breath clean from the lungs at every word. This is most useful in ventriloquism, and to illustrate it, we will take the man on the roof as an illustration. This is an example almost invariably successful, and is constantly used by skilled professors of the art. As we have before repeatedly intimated, the eyes and attention of the audience must be

It is very rarely that a ventriloquist shows a full face to his audience; it is only done when he is at a great distance from them, and is pronouncing the labial sounds in the manner given, for any movement of the jaws would help to destroy the illusion.