DRAWING AND WRITING AUTOMATA. 283 



linson. The figure was the size of life. It held 

 in its hand a metallic style, and when a spring 

 was touched, so as to release a detent, the figure 

 immediately began to draw upon a card of Dutch 

 vellum previously laid under its hand. After the 

 drawing was executed on the first card, the figure 

 rested. Other five cards were then put in, in suc- 

 cession, and upon these it delineated in the same 

 manner different subjects. On the first card it 

 drew "elegant portraits and liknesses of the king 

 and queen facing each other ;" and Mr. Collinson 

 remarks, that it was curious to observe with what 

 precision the figure lifted up its pencil in its 

 transition from one point of the drawing to 

 another, without making the slighest mistake. 



M. Maillardet has executed an automaton 

 which both writes and draws. The figure of a 

 boy kneeling on one knee holds a pencil in his 

 hand. When the figure begins to work, an 

 attendant dips the pencil in ink, and adjusts the 

 drawing-paper upon a brass tablet. Upon touch- 

 ing a spring, the figure proceeds to write, and 

 when the line is finished, its hand returns to dot 

 and stroke the letters when necessary. In this 

 manner it executes four beautiful pieces of 

 writing in French and English, and three land- 

 scapes, all of which occupy about one hour. 



One of the most popular pieces of mechanism 

 which we have seen is the magician constructed 

 by M. Maillardet for the purpose of answering 

 certain given questions. A figure dressed like a 

 magician appears seated at the bottom of a wall, 

 holding a wand in one hand, and a book in the , 

 other. A number of questions ready prepared 

 are inscribed on oval medallions, and the spec- 

 tator takes any of these which he chooses, and to 



