April \, 1878] 



NATURE 



453 



the famous Li Hung-chang, for developing the coal and 

 iron dir.tricts to the north-west of Tientsin, in the Chihli 

 province. Should the enterprises we have alluded to be suc- 

 cesfully carried out, some hopes may be entertained of a 

 gradual development of the hidden resources of the 

 Chinese Empire. 



Angola. — We learn that a young and energetic col- 

 lector, Mr. Alfred Heath, started on board the Binfra, 

 which sailed from Liverpool last Saturday, for the 

 purpose of exploring the interior of Angola, and obtaining 

 objects of natural history. Mr. Heath will stay at 

 Ambriz for a short time, and make collections on the 

 River Loge and on the coast, after which he will proceed 

 inland to Bembe, a place recommended by the late 

 Mr. Monteiro as presenting an excellent field for the 

 naturalist. 



AN ORGAN-PIANO 



WHEN recently in Paris I was shown — I believe at 

 the pianoforte factory of M. Herz — a piano with 

 appliances for producing prolonged sounds like those of 

 an organ, which appeared to me to be based on thoroughly 

 sound scientific principles, and which was so great a 

 success that, although the invention had only been per- 

 fected a very few weeks before, the firm were receiving 

 orders for the new instruments much faster than they 

 could execute them. The attempt to combine organ 

 sounds with those of a piano has often before, I believe, 

 been made, but usually, if not always, I am told, by 

 combination with the piano arrangements of real organ 

 appliances, the result being, of course, extreme difficulty 

 in obtaining perfect harmony between notes produced by 

 two such totally distinct methods. In the present in- 

 stance the organ as well as the piano notes are pro- 

 duced by precisely the same means, the principle 

 consisting in producing the organ or prolonged sound 

 by a succession of extremely rapid blows of a hammer 

 upon the same strings as produce the piano note. It will 

 not be difficult, I think (notwithstanding my want of fami- 

 liarity with such subjects), to make your readers understand 

 exactly how this is accomplished. They will observe 

 that if the pianist were able, instead of merely holding 

 down a key, to produce upon it an extremely rapid suc- 

 cession of blows, far exceeding in rapidity anything 

 which the finger can possibly effect, a prolonged note 

 would be produced, and especially so if the number 

 of blows given was so great as to be practically inse- 

 parable by the ear. Now in the instrument of which 

 I am speaking this object is accomplished by means of a 

 series of additional hammers (one to each string) mounted 

 upon watch-spring levers, all of which are carried by a 

 bar of brass lying across, but above and clear of the 

 strings. To this bar is attached a rocking lever which 

 is set in very rapid motion by means of an apparatus 

 worked easily by a pedal. I was not shown the exact 

 nature of this apparatus, but there are so many forms 

 of small engines worked with immense rapidity by 

 compressed air, any one of which would answer the 

 purpose, that no great importance attaches to this point. 

 The modus operandi is simple enough : the pianist works 

 the pedal, and thus sets the transverse bar with its series 

 of hammers into excessively rapid vibration. By holding 

 down any key of the instrument, the string belonging to 

 it is brought within range of its corresponding hammer, 

 and is struck with corresponding rapidity, giving out what 

 sounds at a short distance like one prolonged note, which 

 lasts as long as the pedal is worked and the key is kept 

 down. It is easy to see that by this means it is in the 

 power of the pianist to produce either piano or organ 

 notes at will, and although while standing close to the 

 instrument the mode of production of the note could be 

 detected, at a short distance the effect was precisely that 



of combined piano and organ sounds with the immense 

 advantage of absolute concordance and harmony between 

 the two. E. J. Reed 



THE COMING TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE 



"\17"E have received from Admiral Rodgers, the Superin- 

 y * tendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory, the official 

 circular which we were enabled to anticipate some little 

 time ago. Owing to the endeavours of the American 

 astronomers, the Pennsylvania Railroad Company have 

 made arrangements for a reduced rate of fare to and from 

 the East to Denver, Colorado, which is near the central 

 line. These arrangements refer only to persons going 

 in a private capacity, and not to members of expeditions 

 sent out by foreign Governments. 



Upon the order of the Superintendent of the U.S. 

 Naval Observatory, Washington, the Company will furnish 

 transportation to Denver and return viA Pittsburg, 

 Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Kansas City, or vid Pitts- 

 burg, Chicago, and Omaha, at the following rates for the 

 round trip : — From New York, 73.00 dols. ; from Phila- 

 delphia, 71.00 dols. ; from Baltimore or Washington, 

 62.50 dols. 



The round trip ticket includes transportation (about 

 2,000 miles according to route) from New York to 

 Denver and back again to point of starting ; or in all, 

 4,000 miles of travel. 



These arrangements allow the journey to Denver to be 

 made by one route, and the return by another. The routes 

 available are — 



No. I, vid Pittsburg, Chicago, Omaha, Denver. 



No. 2, via Pittsburg, Chicago, Omaha, Denver. 



No. 3, vi&. Pittsburg, Chicago, Omaha, Denver. (Dif- 

 ferent routes from Chicago to Omaha.) 



No. 4, viil Pittsburg, Chicago, Leavenworth, Denver. 



No. 5, viOi, Pittsburg, Chicago, Atchison, Pueblo, Denver. 



No. 6, viCh Pittsburg, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas 

 City, Denver. 



No. 7, viCb Pittsburg, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas 

 City, Denver. (Different routes from St, Louis to Kansas 

 City.) 



No. 8, vi6b Pittsburg, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas 

 City, Pueblo, Denver. 



No. 9, viSb Pittsburg, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas 

 City, Pueblo, Denver. (Different routes from Kansas City 

 to Pueblo.) 



Those intending to make observations of the eclipse, 

 and desiring to take advantage of the courtesy extended 

 by the Pennsylvanian Railroad Company, are requested 

 to notify their intention by letter to the Superintendent of 

 the U. S. Naval Observatory, asking that a letter certi- 

 fying to their identity be forwarded to their consuls at the 

 port they may select for arrival in the United States. 

 This letter must, upon delivery, be countersigned by the 

 consul of the applicant to prevent mistakes. 



The Hon. Secretary of the Treasury has notified the 

 collector of customs of the ports of Boston, Portland, 

 New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, of the probable 

 arrival of European observers, who will be identified by 

 exhibiting the above letter, so signed and countersigned, 

 to the collectors named. Orders have been issued to 

 them as follows :— 



'* Upon the arrival at your port of any of the gentlemen 

 mentioned, you will extend all proper facilities for the 

 speedy delivery to them of the professional instruments in 

 question free of duty and charges." 



On presenting the same letter, so countersigned, to the 

 agent of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company in New 

 York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington, a round- 

 trip ticket to Denver and return, will be issued to them 

 by the Railroad Company at the rates before named. 



From Denver railroad lines extend to points likely to 

 be chosen for observing stations. 



