266 LETTERS ON NATURAL MAGIC. 



Such is a very brief view of the general mechanism by 

 which the requisite motions of the flute-player were 

 produced. The airs which it played were probably equal 

 to those executed by a living performer, and its construc- 

 tion, as well as its performances, continued for many years 

 to delight and astonish the philosophers and musicians of 

 Europe. 



Encouraged by the success of this machine M. Vaucan- 

 son exhibited in 1741 other automata, which were equally, 

 if not more, admired. One of these was the automaton 

 duck, which performed all the motions of that animal, and 

 not only ate its food, but digested it ; * and the other was 

 his pipe and tabor-player, a piece of mechanism which re- 

 quired all the resources of his fertile genius. Having 

 begun this machine before he was aware of its peculiar 

 difficulties, he was often about to abandon it in despair, 

 but his patience and his ingenuity combined enabled him 

 not only to surmount every difficulty, but to construct an 

 automaton which performed complete airs, and greatly ex- 

 celled the most esteemed performers on the pipe and tabor. 



The figure stands on a pedestal, and is- dressed like a 

 dancing shepherd. He holds in one hand a flageolet, and 

 in the other the stick with which he beats the tambourin 

 as an accompaniment to the airs of the flageolet, about 

 twenty of which it is capable of performing. The 

 flageolet has only three holes, and the variety of its tones 

 depends principally on a proper variation of the force of 

 the wind, and on the different degrees with which the 

 orifices are covered. These variations in the force of the 

 wind required to be given with a rapidity which the ear 

 can scarcely follow, and the articulation of the tongue was 

 required for the quickest notes, otherwise the effect was 

 far from agreeable. As the human tongue is not capable 

 of giving the requisite articulations to a rapid succession 

 * See Letter XL 



