"SIR,--I intended the advice on breathing to apply to both sexes, diaphragmatic breathing with perfect control being the foundation of all good voice-production, whether in speaking or in singing, in men and women alike, while clavicular breathing is a potent factor in voice-failure accompanied by throat ailments. From the examination of a large number of cases, I find it exceptional for a woman, when dressed, to breathe diaphragmatically, but when the garments are unfastened, and a few simple directions followed, Nature's mode of breathing commences to re-assert itself, feebly at first, but vigorously after a little practice. Very many men also breathe clavicularly, to the great detriment of their voices, whether in speaking or in singing. I have noticed, however that whereas the majority of women _always_ breathe clavicularly, comparatively few men adopt this pernicious habit unless when using the voice, which is, of course, the worst time for them to employ it. As a rule, men re-acquire the natural manner of breathing more easily and quickly than women; this may be partly accounted for by their greater freedom from constricting garments. After a few weeks' training of the respiratory muscles, the lung capacity frequently exceeds, in women especially, the average given in Hutchinson's tables. "Thanking you in anticipation for your courtesy in publishing this letter,--I am, sir, yours &c., "K. BEHNKE "18, Earl's Court Square, S.W." INDEX. Artificial female voice, Roman teachers, 2 Back ring pyramid muscles, 46, 48 Bands uniting shield and tongue-bone, 34 Belts _v._ braces for men, 25 Breast bone, 11 Breathing, Collar-bone, 17 ----, Curing defective, 23 ---- during sleep, 28 ---- exercises, 106 ----, midriff and rib combined, 17 ----, Mouth _v._ nostril, 26 ---- neglected by teachers, 19 ----, View of larynx, 84 Breath, Singers' half-, 26 Browne, Lennox, on breathing, 18, 22 Carpenter, Dr., How tone is produced, 39 Cartilages of Santorini, 51, 54, 80 ---- of Wrisberg, 51, 54, 81 Catlin on American Indian breathing, 28 Chest described, 12 ---- voice used for pay, 4 Chink, Vocal, 45, 81 Clergymen's sore throat, 22 Collar-bones, 11 Composers disregarding voices, 3 ----' ignorance of harp, 3 ----, Modern, wed music and words, 3 ---- to blame for vocal decline, 4 Cords, Vocal, a misleading term, 38 ----, ----, False, 60 ----, ----, origin of term, 8 Corsets for gentlemen, 26 Curwen's names for registers, 87 Czermak's test in vowel formation, 59 ---- use of the laryngoscope, 75 Duprez' Chest C, 5 Eberth's case, voice-box without lid, 35 Elsberg on nose-breathing, 28 ---- on wedges (posterior nodules), 55 Eustachian tubes, 58