RECORDS. 167 



Robert MacDougall, An Experiment in Facial Vision. 

 E. H. Sneath, Notes on the Washington Meeting. 

 J. McKeen Cattell, Grades for Mental Traits. 

 W. H. Davis, A Preliminary Report on Tests of One 

 Hundred Men of Science. (Read by title.) 



Summary of Papers. 



Professor Scripture's paper was as follows : After brief 

 mention of the phonetic surveys being carried on by Grierson 

 in India and Guilleron in France, a description was given of 

 the chief talking-machine methods that may be used for this 

 purpose. It was pointed out that the advances in the con- 

 struction of phonographs, graphophones and gramophones dur- 

 ing the last couple of years have been so great as to revolu- 

 tionize these methods. It was also explained that making a 

 speech record was like taking a photograph ; everybody can 

 take a picture, but a good picture requires skill. By use of the 

 graphophone the records made on wax cylinders can be used 

 for making metal molds ; from these indestructible molds 

 copies in hard wax can be made. The gramophone method 

 likewise furnishes metal molds from which hard discs are pro- 

 duced ; but the talking machine requires an expert. This 

 gramophone method was lately used on three expeditions sent 

 out by the Vienna Academy of Sciences. The new methods 

 furnish records that are perfect in recording every detail of the 

 voice. There is not the slightest loss even of the most difficult 

 consonants. Criticisms stating the contrary are derived from 

 acquaintance with methods that are now out of date. From 

 the gramophone records the curve of speech can be traced off 

 with great accuracy ; whereby every detail of the voice can be 

 measured. A similar method can be applied to phonograph 

 records. It was urged that the fast disappearing dialects and 

 languages should be recorded and preserved in one of these 

 ways. It was pointed out that such records could be made 

 and delivered at smaller cost per word than in the case of 

 Guilleron's "Atlas." It was stated that the various talking 

 machine companies have shown self-sacrificing interest in such 



