The encyclopædia britannica; a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information . y of commanding any emphasisnecessarily created for the harpsichord an individual techniquewhich influenced the: music composed for it to so great an extentthat it cannot be adequately rendered upon the pianoforte. The harpsichord assumed a position of great importanceduring the x6th and 17th centuries, more especially in theorchestra, which was under the leadership of the harpsichordplayer. The most famous of all harpsichord makers, whosenames form a guarantee for excellence; were the Ruckers,est
The encyclopædia britannica; a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information . y of commanding any emphasisnecessarily created for the harpsichord an individual techniquewhich influenced the: music composed for it to so great an extentthat it cannot be adequately rendered upon the pianoforte. The harpsichord assumed a position of great importanceduring the x6th and 17th centuries, more especially in theorchestra, which was under the leadership of the harpsichordplayer. The most famous of all harpsichord makers, whosenames form a guarantee for excellence; were the Ruckers,established at Antwerp from the last quarter of the i6thcentury. (K. S.) HARPY, a large diurnal bird of prey, so named after themythological monster of the classical poets (see Harpies),—theThrasaelus harpyia of modern ornithologists—an inhabitantof the warmer parts of America from Southern Mexico to known since the middle of the 17th century, its habitshave come very little under the notice of naturalists, and whatis said of them by the older writers must be received with some. Harpy. suspicion. A cursory inspection of the tird, which is not un-frequently brought alive to Europe, its size, and its enormousbill and talons, at once suggest the vast powers of destructionimputed to it, and are enough to account for the stories told ofits ravages on mammals—sloths, fawns, peccaries and spider-monkeys. It has even been asserted to attack the human much of this is fabulous there seems no means at present ofdetermining, but some of the statements are made by veracioustravellers—DOrbigny and Tschudi. It is not uncommon in theforests of the isthmus of Panama, and Salvin says {Proc. Zoo!.Society, 1864, p. 368) that its flight is slow and heavy. Indeedits owl-like visage, its short wings and soft plumage, do not in-dicate a bird of very active habits, but the weapons of offencewith which it is armed show that it must be able to cope withvigorous prey. Its appe
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectencyclo, bookyear1910
