The stones used for the _ch’ing_ have been cut from time to time in various grotesque shapes. Some represent animals: as, for instance, a bat with outstretched wings; or two fishes placed side by side: others are in the shape of an ancient Chinese bell. The angular shape appears to be the oldest form and is still retained in the ornamental stones of the _pien-ch’ing_, which is a more modern instrument than the _ch’ing_. The tones of the _pien-ch’ing_ are attuned according to the Chinese intervals called _lü_, of which there are twelve in the compass of an octave. The same is the case with the other Chinese instruments of this class. They vary, however, in pitch. The pitch of the _sung-ch’ing_, for instance, is four intervals lower than that of the _pien-ch’ing_. Sonorous stones have always been used by the Chinese also singly, as rhythmical instruments. Such a single stone is called _t’ê-ch’ing_. The ancient Chinese had several kinds of bells, frequently arranged in sets so as to constitute a musical scale. The Chinese name for the bell is _chung_. At an early period they had a somewhat square-shaped bell called _t’ê-chung_. Like other ancient Chinese bells it was made of copper alloyed with tin, the proportion being one part of tin to six of copper. The _t’ê-chung_, which is also known by the name of _piao_, was principally used to indicate the time and divisions in musical performances. It had a fixed pitch of sound, and several of these bells attuned to a certain order of intervals were not unfrequently ranged in a regular succession, thus forming a musical instrument which was called _pien-chung_. The musical scale of the sixteen bells which the _pien-chung_ contained was the same as that of the _ch’ing_ before mentioned. The _hsüan-chung_ was, according to popular tradition, included with the antique instruments at the time of Confucius, and came into popular use during the Han dynasty (from B.C. 200 until A.D. 200). It was of a peculiar oval shape and had nearly the same quaint ornamentation as the _t’ê-chung_; this consisted of symbolical figures, in four divisions, each containing nine mammals. The mouth was crescent-shaped. Every figure had a deep meaning referring to the seasons and to the mysteries of the Buddhist religion. The largest _hsüan-chung_ was about twenty inches in length; and, like the _t’ê-chung_, was sounded by means of a small wooden mallet with an oval knob. None of the bells of this description had a clapper. It would, however, appear that the Chinese had at an early period some kind of bell provided with a wooden tongue: this was used for military purposes as well as for calling the people together when an imperial messenger promulgated his sovereign’s commands. An expression of Confucius is recorded to the effect that he wished to be “A wooden-tongued bell of Heaven,” _i.e._, a herald of heaven to proclaim the divine purposes to the multitude.