398 Proceedings of the Royal Institution. 



first of such as received wind from the mouth. Mr. Wheatstone's 

 first keyed instrument made in 1818 was shewn, the flute harmonique, 

 a German instrument of the same kind, and other arangements were 

 shewn, in which springs were thrown into action, according as holes 

 or keys were fingered, and thus performances €xecuted. After these 

 was introduced Mr. Wheatstone's Symphonium, a beautiful instru- 

 ment, small in size, but of great power in expression, melody, and 

 harmony : its capabilities were fully shewn by the performance of 

 Mr. Godbe. The manner in which difficulties had been overcome, and 

 in which also the principles of resonance had been taken advantage 

 of, were explained and illustrated. The arrangement of the keys, so 

 as to give extreme facility of fingering, was also explained. 



Then came instruments in which more or less of the organ me- 

 chanism has been introduced. The Tshing, or Chinese organ, was 

 first quoted as the origin of the European instruments, and the com- 

 bination in it of the powers of the vibratory plate with a reciprocating 

 column of air, was explained. Professor Kratzenstein, who had seen 

 one of these instruments at Copenhagen, introduced the principle in 

 a speaking machine which he was engaged in constructing. In 

 1780, Mr. Kemech of Petersburgh applied the freely vibrating tongues 

 as anew stop in his organ. The Abbe Vogler also applied it to his 

 orchestrian and various organs ; Grenie applied it to organ-tubes, and 

 probably numerous applications of this kind took place. In all these 

 the tongues were connected with tubes, but it occurred that these might 

 be left out, and Mr. Shultz of Vienna constructed his aeol-harmonica 

 on that principle. Then many other instruments were constructed in 

 a similar way ; and there were in the room Dr. Dowler's glossophane, 

 Dretz's aerophone, an seolian, an instrument by Mr. Stum pf the harp- 

 maker, and the most recently constructed instrument — an seolian 

 organ, by Mr. Day of Cheapside. Mr. Stumpf played on his instru- 

 ment to illustrate its character, and was accompanied on the harp 

 by M. Stockhausen. Mr. Day's instrument was played upon by Mr. 

 Wesley. The lower notes of the latter were exceedingly full and 

 powerful. The scientific peculiarities of each instrument were noticed 



in succession. 



May 2Sih. 



Capt. Manby, On the Means of preserving Lives in cases of Ship- 

 wreck, and on a New practical Mode of Hauling Life-boats, &c.. 



