Description of the Kaleidophone, 



345 



neously visible by causing it to be delineated by a brilliantly 

 luminous point, and the figure being completed in less time 

 than the duration of the visual impression, the whole orbit ap- 

 pears as a continuous line of light. As besides the changes 

 which result from the combinations of the primitive with the 

 higher modes of vibration, the figures of the orbits are affected 

 by the form of the rod, by the extent of the excursions of the 

 vibrations, by the mode of producing the motions, and by 

 many other circumstances, a great variety of pleasing and 

 regular forms is obtained. This variety is also enhanced by 

 giving the same motions to a number of symmetrically disposed 

 luminous points, the mutual intersections of the orbits of which 

 produce innumerable elegant forms ; and the appearances may 

 be still more variegated by occasionally causing these points to 

 reflect differently-coloured lights. 



The apparatus for exhibiting these experiments consists of a 

 circular board about nine inches in diameter, into which are 



perpendicularly fixed, at equal distances from the circumference 

 and from each other, three steel rods each about a foot in length, 



strings of a square piano-forte, round which a fine silvered wire is wound 

 in a spiral form ; contract the light of a window, so that when the eye is 

 placed in a proper position, the image of the light may appear small, 

 bright, and well defined, on each of the convolutions of the wire. Let 

 the chord be now made to vibrate, and the luminous point will delineate 

 its path like a burning ^!oal whirled round, and will present to the eye a 

 line of light, which, by the assistance of a microscope, may be very ac* 

 APRIL— JUNE, 1827. 2 A 



