ones of the thick register. The united
action, already described, of the pyramids and the vocal ligaments in
forming the deeper tones of the thin register, extends to C, C[#]
[Illustration: musical notation] in the female voice, and in the male
voice to E[b], E [Illustration: musical notation] commonly written thus,
E[b], E [Illustration: musical notation] but which only rarely occurs in
composition, and then is sung by tenors as I have given it; that is, one
octave lower.

"With the C[#] [Illustration: musical notation] in the female voice, and
the E[b], E [Illustration: musical notation] in the male voice, the
pyramids cease again to act, and, as before, in the Upper Thick, leave
the formation of the sounds to the vocal ligaments alone, which at this
change appear again longer and looser, but with every higher tone
tighten up to F, F[#] [Illustration: musical notation] in the female
voice, and in the male voice to G [Illustration: musical notation] or as
it is commonly written, [Illustration: musical notation]. In the thin
register the voicebox preserves its natural position as in quiet
breathing."

I must say here that I have never had any very clear conception of
Madame Seiler's meaning when she speaks of the action or inaction of the
pyramids in the formation of the registers. In the lower thick register
there is, as a rule, a small triangular space between them which gets
gradually smaller as the tones ascend, until it is quite closed in the
upper thick. Dr. Merkel, also, has made the same observation. So far,
therefore, we are agreed. But even of this I can find no trace in the
thin register, where I have always noticed that the pyramids are quite
close together. On this point, my assertion is borne out by Dr. Merkel,
who insists upon the same thing. I also demur to Madame Seiler's
statement that in this register again the vocal ligaments relax at the
beginning of the upper division, and I invite the reader to test the
matter by reference to the ring-shield aperture. The evidence furnished
by this experiment is conclusive, because the vocal ligaments cannot
possibly relax without a corresponding enlargement of the ring-shield
aperture. A very striking illustration of this occurs during the
transition from the Upper Thick to the Lower Thin. During the highest
tones of the Upper Thick, when the tension of the vocal ligaments is
greatest, the ring-shield aperture, as we have seen before, completely
closes, while i