OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 277 



It was noticed that, in several cases where the vowel seemed to 

 have quite lost its peculiar quality, there was nevertheless a cer- 

 tain reminiscence, so to speak, of its original character remaining. 

 This appeared to be due to the logographic differences among the 

 various vowels. Of course, the logographic characteristics of any 

 vowel are not altered by the speed at which the sound is repro- 

 duced, so that in many cases we necessarily reproduce a sound with 

 a characteristic resonance note belonging to one vowel and a logo- 

 graphic character belonging to another. Where the logographic 

 character is clearly marked, this may enable one to recognize the 

 vowel sound originally spoken into the phonograph, even though 

 the characteristic resonance note is quite changed. This is espe- 

 cially true when the vowel forms part of a word. 



There also appears to be a great difference among different vowels 

 in what we may call the persistence of their vowel character when 

 the speed of reproduction is varied. Whereas some, as 6, o, and a, 

 change their character completely on increasing the speed, say to 

 double its original rate, others change far less. The vowel e seems 

 particularly persistent under a large change in speed. With it as 

 with all vowels there is necessarily a shortening at higher speeds, 

 as denoted in the tables by a dot placed under the letter; but apart 

 from this the speed may be varied more than for any other vowel 

 studied by us before any marked change in its quality appears. 



In order to form some estimate of the extent to which the context 

 would influence the judgment as to the character of a vowel sound, 

 the experiment was tried of reproducing at different speeds a sen- 

 tence or verse spoken into the instrument. Thus the words from 

 a negro melody containing the vowel o many times repeated were 

 spoken, as follows : — 



"Roll, Jordan, roll ! 

 Roll, Jordan, roll ! 

 I want to go to heaven when I die 

 To hear old Jordan roll." 



These words were impressed upon the cylinder at a speed of three 

 revolutions per second, and were reproduced at speeds of two revo- 

 lutions and one revolution per second respectively, with the follow- 

 ing results. At two revolutions the o's were in all cases plainly 

 recognizable though lengthened; but at one revolution the qual- 

 ity was completely altered, o having become changed to 6 in all 

 cases. Like results were observed in other sentences containing 

 the vowel 6. 



