MECHANICAL FINGER-EXERCISES (CONTINUED). It is not sufficient to play the ordinary finger-exercises and scales. As has been shown in the opening chapters, and in the anatomical representations of the hand, all the fingers are not equally strong; for instance, the 4th and 5th fingers are, by nature, much weaker than the others, and it is necessary to remedy this inequality. Each finger ought, therefore, to have gymnastic exercises _for itself_, and they ought to be performed on some solid body, which can be firmly grasped. For this purpose take a round staff, from 12 to 18 inches long, and half to three quarters of an inch thick, on which, at a proper distance from one another, round indentations are made, and into which the fingers are to be placed after the manner illustrated in the adjoining and following figures. [Illustration: The staff] _Directions._ Place the thumb of each hand on one side, and the four fingers _very firmly_ fixed on the other side of the staff; _raise one finger as high as possible_, and let it fall down vigorously, like a hammer, 20 times in succession, while the three remaining fingers, _stretched out from one another_, like claws, remain immoveable. In the same way exercise the other fingers; firmly, _slowly_, vigorously, and immediately after the cylinder exercises just described. Repeat this three times daily, each time for five minutes, altogether for 15 minutes a day, _but the oftener it be done the better_. Those playing the piano need not confine themselves to one particular exercise, but may make use of all the figures at pleasure. [Illustration: Fig. 32. Fig. 31.] [Illustration: Fig. 33.] The fingers of the left hand may also be trained for violin playing, as seen in Fig. 35. [Illustration: Fig. 35.]