448 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1884. 



an " acoustic anemoineter." They are all ingeniously constructed. 

 {Nature, February, 1884, xxix, 363.) 



St. George has patented a novel form of phonograph. A round photo- 

 graphic plate is revolved on its axis by means of any suitable motor. 

 The light falls on the plate perpendicularly through a small opening, 

 which, by means of a screw connected to the axis by bevel gear, is car- 

 ried slowly toward the center. If the light were uniform, a spiral line 

 would be traced on the jilate. But over the opening is a slide connected 

 by a lever with a diaphragm and mouth-piece, so that on talking into 

 the latter the vibration of the diaphragm varies the size of the opening ; 

 so that there is produced on the plate a spiral band of varying width 

 corresponding to the vibrations of the plate. If now the prepared plate 

 be rotated under such conditions that a beam of light sent through this 

 photographic image falls upon a selenium jDhotophoue transmitter, the 

 tones of the voice are reproduced. [Science, iv, 124, August, 1884.) 



Dr. Zintgraff, who has gone into the interior of Africa with Cha- 

 vanne, has taken with him a phonograph, for the purpose of fixing the 

 speech and melodies of hitherto unknown tribes, which when received 

 by the instrument will b^ forwarded to scientific men in Germany. The 

 apparatus, now used for this purpose for the first time, was made by 

 Fuhrmann, of Berlin, in fac simile of one kept in that city, so that the 

 jilates made in Africa can be put upon the Berlin machine and caused 

 to reproduce the sounds received. {Nature, March, 1884, xxix, 4G0.) 



Cross has given a lecture on the determination, history, and present 

 standards of musical pitch. Under the first head he considered the 

 methods by the sonometer and the tuning-fork and the tonometer of 

 Scheibler. The fork he considered the only good standard, since it 

 changed its rate by less than -^^^q per degree centigrade. He gives the 

 following table, prepared in 1880, giving the results of some of his mea-s- 

 urements : 



Number of 

 vibrations, Cs. 



Ritchie, copy of Chickering standard 209 



Masou & Hamlin, French pitch 259. 1 



Hook & Hastings, old flat organ pitch 2fi4. 6 



Organ in Chnrch of the Immaculate Conception, Boston 266. *! 



Chickering's standard fork 268. 5 



Smith American Organ Company 267. 2 



New Euglaud Organ Company 268. 2 



H. F. Miller pianos 268.9 



Hook & Hastings standard 270 



Weber pianos 270. 3 



Thomas pitch, 1879 271.1 



Boston Music Hall organ 271. 2 



Steiuway's pitch 272. 2 



Highest New York pitch 273. 9 



In 1882-'83 the standard used by the Boston symphony orchestra 

 Avas an A fork of 448 double vibrations ; in 1883-'84 it wa^ a French 

 A of 435 vibrations. The standard French jjitch of the New England 



