6 
motive power is supplied by an electro-moter ; the phonogram or 
message is engraved on a hollow cylinder of wax-coated paper, by 
the action of a point or style fixed to a glass diaphragm, which 
vibrates according to the waves of sourd. In the reproducing 
instrument the diaphragm is of silk, also fitted with a style, which 
traces the exact path of the original style, and, as the diaphragm 
vibrates accordingly, the same sounds are produced, but with some 
loss of loudness. The improvement in this Phonograph (Mr. Edi- 
son’s) consists mainly in the use of the wax covered cylinder, which 
records much more faithfully the ‘timbre ” or quality of the sounds 
than the metal cylinder previously used. The new cylinders mea- 
sure 2in. in diameter and 44in.in length, and can contain 1,000 
words which are engraved in fine spiral lines; they are so light 
that they can easily be sent by post, and they possess the advantage 
over a written communication of giving the words with every in- 
flexion of the voice. A similar instrument, perfected by Mr. Tainter, 
is the Graphophone, which has the advantage of needing no electro- 
motor, as it is worked by a treadle. The recording cylinder, as in 
Edison’s phonograph, is of wax covered cardboard, but the diaphragm 
in the original instrument and the re-producer is a thin piece of 
mica, in the centre of which is the steel point with which the sounds 
are engraved. From the simplicity of manipulation with the foot 
in place of an electro-motor, the Graphophone seems more likely 
to come into general use than the Phonograph. The head of a 
firm need only speak into it his correspondence, which can be after- 
wards written down verbatim by a clerk. It would also be of 
great service to journalists and reporters, who could leave their 
articles to be written down by others. 
The electric lighting of ships is occupying much attention; the 
fact of the great weight of the accumulators has been thought a 
serious objection, but if it can be made to serve as ballast, the 
weight would even be an advantage. A small dynamo which would 
charge the accumulator would serve not only to light the ship, but 
might form a reserve for mechanical power, such as hauling the 
ropes or weighing the anchor. 
Many trials have been made in ‘fishing by electric lamps under 
water, and in most cases with success. One great difficulty has 
been that the mains of the lamps have fouled with the fishing lines, 
but this has been obviated by the use of a lamp worked by a 
primary battery which can be tossed overboard and recovered at a 
future time. Last Summer some Liverpool naturalists made an 
excursion between Liverpool and the Isle of Man, and succeeded 
in obtaining many interesting objects by means of these submerged 
lamps, both at the surface and the bottom of the sea. They also 
experimented by fishing at the same time from one side of the ship, 
