an instrument of music, the simplest of all those of the wind kind. It is played on by blowing. it with the mouth; and the tones or notes are changed by stopping and opening the holes disposed for that purpose along its side.

This is a very ancient instrument. It was at first called the flute à bec, from bec an old Gaulish word signifying the beak of a bird or fowl, but more especially of a cock; the term flute à bec must therefore signify the beaked flute; which appears very proper, on comparing it with the traverso or German flute. The word flute is derived from fluta, the Latin for a lamprey or small eel taken in the Sicilian seas, having seven holes immediately below the gills on each side, the precise number of those in the front of the flute.

By Merfenius this instrument is called the fistula dulcis, seu Anglicae; the lowest note, according to him, for the treble flute, is C fa ut, and the compass of the instrument 15 notes. There is, however, a flute known by the name of the concert flute, the lowest note of which is F. Indeed, ever since the introduction of the flute into concerts, the lowest note of the instrument, of what size soever it is, has been called F; when in truth its pitch is determinable only by its correspondence in respect of acuteness or gravity with one or other of the chords in the scala maxima or great system.

Besides the true concert-flute, others of a less size were soon introduced into concerts of violins; in which case the method was to write the flute-part in a key correspondent to its pitch. This practice was introduced in 1710 by one Woodcock, a celebrated performer on this instrument, and William Babell organist of the church of All-hallows, Bread Street, London. They failed, however, in procuring for the flute a reception into concerts of various instruments; for which reason, one Thomas Stanefby, a very curious maker of flutes and other instruments of the like kind, about the year 1732, adverting to the scale of Merfenius, in which the lowest note was C, invented what he called the new system; in which, by making the flute of such a size as to be a fifth above concert pitch, the lowest note became C sol fa ut. By this contrivance the necessity of transposing the flute-part was taken away; for a flute of this size, adjusted to the system above mentioned, became an octave to the violin. To further this invention of Stanefby, one Lewis Merci, an excellent performer on the flute, published, about the year 1735, six solos for this instrument, three of which are said to be accommodated to Mr Stanefby's new system; but the German flute was now become a favourite instrument, and Stanefby's ingenuity failed of its effect.—One great objection indeed lies against this instrument, which, however, equally affects all perforated pipes; namely, that they are never perfectly in tune, or cannot be made to play all their notes with equal exactness. The utmost that the makers of them can do is to tune them to some one key; as the hautboy to C, the German flute to D, and the English flute to F; and to effect this truly is a matter of no small difficulty. The English flutes made by the younger Stanefby came the nearest of any to perfection; but those of Breslau, though excellent in their tone, are all too flat in the upper octave. For these reasons some are induced to think, that the utmost degree of proficiency on any of those instruments is not worth the labour of attaining it.

German Flute, is an instrument entirely different from the common flute. It is not, like that, put into the mouth to be played; but the end is stopp'd with a stopion or plug, and the lower lip is applied to a hole about two inches and a half or three inches distant from the end. This instrument is usually about a foot and a half long; rather bigger at the upper end than the lower; and perforated with holes, besides that for the mouth, the lowest of which is stopped and opened by the little finger's pressing on a brass or sometime a silver key, like those in hautboys, bassoons, &c. Its sound is exceeding sweet and agreeable; and serves as a treble in a concert.

Flute, is a kind of long vessel, with flat ribs or floor-timbers, round behind, and swollen in the middle; serving chiefly for the carrying of provisions in fleets or squadrons of ships; though it is often used in merchandise. The word flute, taken for a sort of boat or vessel, is derived, according to Borel, from the ancient flottes, a little boat. In the verbal process of the miracles of St Catherine of Sweden, in the 12th century, we read Unus equum sium una cum mercibus magni ponderis introduxit super instrumentum de lignis fabricatum, vulgariter dictum flota. Upon which the Bollandists observe, that in some copies it is read flotta, an instrument called by the Latins ratis; and that the word flutta or flotta arose from flotten or flotten, "to float."

Flutes, or Flutings, in architecture, are perpendicular channels or cavities cut along the shaft of a column or pilaster. They are supposed to have been first introduced in imitation of the plaiting of women's robes; and are therefore called by the Latins fringes and rags. The French call them cannelures, as being excavations; and we, flutes or flutings, as bearing some resemblance to the musical instrument so called. They are chiefly affected in the Ionic order, in which they had their first rise; though they are also used in all the richer orders, as the Corinthian and Composite; but rarely in the Doric, and scarce ever in the Tuscan.