(Fr. xylophon, claquebois; Ger. Strohfiedel or Holzharmonika; Ital. zilafone, gigelira or sticcato), i.e. Strawfiddle (also known as Ligneum Psalterium) is described by Mendel in his Lexicon as a very ancient and widespread instrument, found principally among the Russians, Poles and Tartars, consisting of a range of flat pieces of deal or glass,1 of no settled number, tuned to the scale, arranged on belts of straw, and struck with two small hammers (cf. S t i c c a d o P a s t e o l e ) . (P L A T E X X IV . No. 8 .) Its sound was sweet and bell-like, but weak. Mendelssohn wrote, & propos of G u s i k o w 's p e r formance upon i t : ' With a few sticks, lying on straw and struck with other sticks, he does what is possible only on the most perfect instrument. How from such materials even the small tone produced-more like a Papageno-fife th an anything else-can be obtained, is a mystery to me.' * Gusikow's Strohfiedel, however, seems to have been an improved kind. I t was strong enough to bear the accompaniment of two violins and a violoncello. The Strohfiedel was introduced into the orchestra in Lumbye's ' Traumbildern.' In its modern form, usually with a compass 8 va. i the tone-quality has changed, being weird and sombre, suggesting the rattle of dry bones (see Saint-Saens's 'Danse Macabre '), rather than the cheerfulness of bells and chimes. The bars are made of rosewocd supported by resonators and are struck with beaters of willow or boxwood. The pa rt is written on one stave in the treble clef and usually a t the actual pitch required.