Baxter MacIntosh, age 12, of Reno, Nev., for his question:

WHEN WAS THE FLUTE INVENTED?

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Chinese used instruments similar to today's flute. Some Arab tribes today still use the Egyptian "nay" or vertical flute.

Flute players of the 1600s and 1700s played on cone shaped instruments made of wood, with few finger holes. In 1846, Theobald Boehm, of Munich, Germany, made the first cylindrical flute of metal. He also arranged the modern system of fingering that makes it possible to place.the openings more accurately and improve the tone.

Rudall Carte and Company of London perfected the Boehm flute and brought out a number of variations on it.

The flute is a treble woodwind instrument played by holding the instrument in a horizontal position. The tone is produced by blowing across holes in the mouthpiece. Today most flutes are made of metal and have keys, tone holes and several other holes for finger movements.

The piccolo is a small flute. This instrument gives off a high sound. The alto flute, or flute d'amour, is larger and has wider holes than the regular flute. The bass flute produces a broad and rich tone because of its lower pitch.