The first and second of the bows shown in Fig. 25 have a curious device. The hair is fixed into the stick at both ends, and the nut, which is quite detached, slips into a slot with a snap, and is held in place by the pressure of the hair. A glance at Fig. 27 will make this arrangement clear. These two nuts are the second and third in Fig. 28, which is reduced one-third below actual size. The ornamental tip to the middle one looks as though it had a screw, but this is merely a decoration to balance a finely fluted design on the stick just above where the "lapping" is usually placed. [Illustration: FIG. 27.] [Illustration: FIG. 28.] A great advance on this was the _cremaillere_ (Fig. 29), which served to vary the tension of the hair in a more or less satisfactory manner. This device is still in use in Sweden. [Illustration: FIG. 29.] The actual invention of the movable nut travelling on a propelling and withdrawing screw is attributed to the elder Tourte, but some of the bows in Mr. Hill's collection having this contrivance appear to be too remote for this to be the case. It is a point that I fear will always be shrouded in mystery. In Plate II. we see a nearer approach to the outlines of the modern bow. These I should say are the work of W. Tubbs, who worked for most of the English fiddle makers and dealers. The first one bears the stamp of Norris and Barnes. This bow is 27-7/8 in. in length, the other two being exactly one inch longer. The hair in the first and third is 1/4 in. in width; in the centre one it is full 5/16 in. The handsome ivory nut of this bow is shown in Fig. 28. They are extremely elegant, and have much of the character of the modern bow in finish and _cambre_, though the deviation is again too low down. [Illustration: PLATE II.] CHAPTER V. VUILLAUME'S FACTS--THE FERRULE AND SLIDE--JOHN DODD. Another example of bow, remarkable not only for its ornamentation, but also as having a well defined _cambre_ together with a nut and screw, is Fig. 30. [Illustration: FIG. 30.] This is a Cremonese bow of the seventeenth century. It is fluted in alternate sections, or panels, the lower third having a slight extra complication of the design "thrown in." Truly these grand old craftsmen were not afraid of work. The screw-nut is as perfect as one could wish, saving, only, in the meagre allowance of hair provided for.