832 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO J 748. 



applications of it might be obtained by a proper inquiry into the iiature of oui- 

 language (the most happily susceptible of this art of any) and the abbreviations 

 which it admits of, very intelligibly, in writing. And in his alphabet he entirely 

 omits the letter h (which is often wanted), and the vowels a, e, i, o, and yet re- 

 tains the vowel u, which is certainly as needless as any of the rest: but as a single 

 point, in 5 distinct situations, would have provided for them all alike, he might 

 as well have added that to his plan, in order to express any particular vowel, on 

 occasion ; because it would not have hurt his alphabet ; and because the reading 

 of his short-hand without any vowels at all, is so extremely difficult. For, as one 

 of his straight strokes ( \ ) must stand for the words am, an, in, on, no, we, him, 

 home, &c. and one of his crooked ones (C ) for as, is, us, so, has, his, ease, ice, 

 use, ax, ox, &c. and so of the rest ; he would himself, in all probability, be often 

 at a loss to distinguish what he had written on his own plan.* 



The consonants J and i; he has taken no notice of; as if the common way of 

 repeating 24 letters did really give a just idea of an alphabet ; which it does not; 

 nor can a perfect short hand for our language (or any other respectively) well be 

 planned, without considering the real alphabet, or table of every particular sound, 

 or modification of sound ; that is to say, vowel or consonant which occurs in it : 

 and then adjusting the proper characters to them, and taking all the advantages 

 that either nature or custom may afford. 



Mr. B. hopes it will not be thought impertinent in him to offer these remarks 

 on the above plan, of an art which he has taken so much pains to cultivate, 

 and bring to that perfection which his first and last intention of introducing one 

 common standard for the general practice of it required. 



On the Sparkling of Flannel, and the Hair of Animals, in the Dark. By Mr. 

 B. Cooke, F.R.S. N°488, p. 394. 



Mr. C. imagines this sparkling of the flannel,-^- and such like bodies, will be 

 found to be quite electrical : and possibly the acid steams of the sulphur, burnt 

 under the extended flannel in the time of bleaching, may unite with the oil (with 

 which hair, as well as horns, are found by analysis to be replete), and form an 

 animal sulphur, which, on friction, vibration, or any nimble agitation of these 

 hairs, may become luminous. 



It should have been mentioned, that the flannel had been worn but few days ; 

 and that it was immediately on shaking the under coat from that which was worn 

 above it, that the sparks were emitted ; and that their appearance was in a broad 



• Vowels may be known to be antecedent or consequent, by the mark being written above or be- 

 low the line of level : e. g. C as, C sa ; \ am, \ ma. The ambiguities in manyof these words are 

 not important, viz. as, has, is, his, use, us. S. J. — Orig. 



t See Phil. Trans, N" 483.— Orig. 



