VIOLONCELLO, or bass viol ; by similar instrument in construction to the violin, but of a larger size, and Ravin g a more powerful effect. An improve ment in the violoncello was lately meu by Mr. S. A. Forster, of Frith Street, Bobo, London, for which that gentleman received an honorary medal from the Society of Arts. The tail-piece ef a violoncello is a thin board, many of ebony, fixed at the end of the instrument, apposite to the pegs, end to which the ends of the strings are tied, or otherwise fastened. Mr. Fonater's invention consists, first, in making three longitudinal cuts in the tail-piece, dividing it into.four ban, united only at the ,lower end, sufficiently separated at the other to vent their touching in a state of vibration; and attachin4 the one to each of the ban. In each bar are three holes, and the string is to tautened to whichever of them on trial shall be found to five the most perfect tone.
Secondly, the material of the tail-piece, instead of being wood, as until, is of snit hammered brass ; this alloy being found to give fiver vibrations than copper, end to be preferable to iron or steel, on account of the metallic quantity of teas which attends the use of then subetances. By the above arrangement, each string being attached to its owe bar, the string and bar form a coatinuous and distinct line, and therefore the vibrations d the different notes interfere less with each other. When the strings are tied to one common tail-piece, the breaking of one puts all the others out of tune ; but in Mr. Fovster's inven tion, as each string has its own bar or tail-piece, the breeldng of one affects the others in a very Agit degree.