156 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 
The diagram obtained from eb is 
SE Varia yen 
6 
In this case 4’ shows the vowel sound; 5 the consonant action, 
in this case negative, made by closing the lips; 6 is a pause, 
during which the mouth is left charged with air; and 7 is pro- 
duced by releasing the lips and discharging the confined air, 
which causes a re-action similar to the consonant be, but smaller 
in amount, and without a vowel sound. 
ab. 
Spa iak Si le Noe 
In the diagram of eb-—ab, and in many of the diagrams of 
syllables commencing with a vowel sound, the first action shows 
a short and nearly vertical line, and then the slope or curve of 
the vowel sound. ‘This short line is probably due to the 
“ sniritus lenis” described by Max Miiller. 
In the syllable beb the whole of these actions arise 
A 
NOE) EPC 
2 6 
and for the purpose of distinction they may be called by the 
following names :— 
(1) the preparation, 
(2) the pre-pause, 
(3) the positive (consonant) action, 
(4) the vowel sound, 
(5) the negative (consonant) action, 
(6) the sub-pause, 
(7) the re-action. 
If we take the double syllable eb—be 
the NS ere 
the sub-pause of the first syllable coincides with the pre-pause 
ofthe second; and the reaction of the first syllable combines 
with, and assists to form, the consonant action of the second. 
It is necessary to be exact in what may be termed the anatomy 
of syllabic action; because the pauses and actions of one class of 
consonants do msi accord with those of another class; in con- 
Z 
