EXPERIMENTAL PHONETICS. 



247 



for (h; A is the vowel e; b the clo.sure of the lips at the ))eoiiinino- 

 of the consonant; this closure lasts during* c, and d is due to the elas- 

 ticit}^ of the air compressed in the mouth. In tig*. 8, h «' 1>^ we titul the 

 elements of figs. 6 and 7. By the logo- 

 graph the consonantal sounds were alone 

 depicted, the records of the vowels l)eing 

 xery imperfect. 



There was still a demand for a recorder 

 of greater accuracy. Schneebeli " in 1S7S 

 dex'isiMl an instrument seen in iig. 9. 

 From tile center of a parchment mem- 

 brane arises a thin, l)ut rigid, steel plate: 

 attached to this, near tlie point, is anotlier 

 steed phite passing horizontally from the 

 edge of the metallic ring carrying the 

 mem))rane. The movements of the mem- 

 brane are live times increased in ampli- 

 tude, while the extreme lightness of the fig. 9.— AiTan,!,'umentoisciiiuHbcii for 



lever reduces to a minimum the etlectS recording movements,,, a m,-,nhrau,.. 



due to inertia. Examples of curves obtained by this method are shown 

 in tig. 10. 



A very sensitive apparatus, termed the Sprachzeichnen", has also 



})een introduced by lien- 

 sen-' for recording the deli- 

 cate vit)rations of a mem- 

 brane. It will ))e readily 

 understood by referring to 

 tigs. 11, 12, and 18. Valu- 

 able observations have been 

 made with the aid of this 

 instrument by Wendeler' 

 on consonant sounds, by 

 yXAAAAAAAAAAAAA u. Martens'^ on vowels and 

 «, diphthongs, and by Pi[)- 



ping' on vowels. 



Such are some of tlie me- 

 chanical contrivances that 

 have ])een devised for recording the movements of a membrane. None 



"Societe des Sciences Naturelles de Neuchiltel, 25 Avril et 20 NoveinT)re, 187S. 



^Hensen: Ueber der Sctirift von Schalll)e\vegungen (Zeits^. fi'ir Biologic, TS87). 



cWendeler: Ein Versucli liber die Schallbewegungen einiger Ivonsoiumten (/cits. 

 fiir Biologie, 1886). 



'^ Martens: Ueber de.s Verhalten von Vocalen \nid Diphtongcn in /c'S|)f. iclicncn 

 Worten (Zeits. fiir Biologie, 1889). 



^Pipping: Zur Ivlangfarlje der (iesnngen Vocale (Zeits. fiir Biologie, 1890); l^ebcr 

 die Theorie der Vocale (Arta Societatis Scientiaruni Helsingfors, 1894). 



'.-/Vv-yV..^yy'^A.^/^/U^/^/W^/y'lA^^^/WtV'Cvv^/^■^^'\/^ 



lU. — Curves of various vowels and of the consonant r 

 recorded by the apparatus of Schneebeli. 



