BAGPIPE, a well known wind instniment, of high antiquity among various nations, and so long a favorite with the natives of the lands of Scotland that it may now be considered as their national instrument. The peculiarity of the bagpipe consists in the fact that the air fziucing the music is collected into a leathern from which it is forcibly pressed into the pipes by the arm of the performer. The chanter, a pipe into which is inserted a reed for the production of the sounds by the action of the air from the bag, is perforated with holes like the German flute, which are stopped with the fingers. The other parts of the instrument, in the common Highland form, are three tubes or drones, which are also furnished with reeds. Two of the drones are in unison with D on the chanter, which corresponds with the lowest note of the German flute. The third drone, which is the longest, is an octave lower. The tuning of the bagpipe is accomplished by lengthening or shortening the tubes or drones, as may be required. Its compass is from the G of the treble stave to the A above it, but its scale is 'imperfect. The Highland bagpipe is a power ful instrument, and calls for great exertion of the lungs, the air being forced into the bag by a pipe held between the lips. The Irish bagpipe
is smaller, softer in its notes, and is always played with bellows that force the air into the bag. It has a number of keys on the chanter and drones, and is a nmch more perfect instru ment musically than the Highland. A Low land Scotch form of the bagpipe is also played with bellows. It is not laiown when the bagpipe first found its way into Scotland, but it is prob able that the Norsemen first introduced it into the Hebrides, which islands they long possessed. In England it was common from Anglo-Saxon times, and is familiarly referred to by Chaucer and Shakespeare. The bagpipe is indeed of very ancient origin, as representations of it are to be found on Grecian and Roman sculptures; and it. has long been well known among various east ern nations. In Italy to this day, or at least in certain parts of it, the bagpipe (cornamusa) is still a popular instrument among the peasantry, but the Italian form of it is more simple than the Highland and Irish.