FLUTE, one of the oldest wind instruments, well known to- the ancient Greeks, has a soft and pleasant quality of tone, is an important instrument in orchestral music, and, in consequence of its easy treatment, is, in modern times, much in favor with amateurs. The F. is commonly made of boxwood or ebony, but sometimes of ivory or silver. Its form is that of a taper tube, made in 4 pieces, with 6 holes for the fingers, and with from 1 to 14 keys, which cover or open other holes. The sound is produced by blowing from the mouth into the embouchure, an oval kind of hole at one side of the thick end', which is done by the lips covering a part of the hole, so that the air in its passage from the mouth is broken against the opposite edge of the hole, which causes the column of air inside the tube to vibrate. The notes of the gamut are produced by the opening or shutting of the holes by the fingers of both hands. The compass of the flute is from D to A sharp, 19 diatonic intervals. For
solo-playing, a F also a compass from G to C is sometimes used. For orchestral pur poses, there are also the lieice7F., the octave F.:, the E flat antLF piccolo flute; and the highest of all, the C piccolo. Improvements on the F. have been made from time to time by Quantz, Ribock, Trommlitz, and especially by BOlim in Germany, and by Rudell and Rose in Loudon.
the name given to a particular class of stops in organ-building, in contrad6tinction to reed-work. There are also numerous stops. in German organs, specially designated with the names of flutes of different kinds, of 8 ft. and 4 ft. pitch, some of which have lately been introduced into English organs.