6 



motive power is supplied by an electro-moter ; the phonogram or 

 message is engraved on a hollow cylinder of wax-coated paper, by 

 the action of a point or style fixed to a glass diaphragm, which 

 vibrates according to the waves of souiid. In the reproducing 

 instrument the diaphragm is of silk, also fitted with a style, which 

 traces the exact path of the original style, and, as the diaphragm 

 vibrates accordingly, the same sounds are produced, but with some 

 loss of loudness. The improvement in this Phonograph (Mr. Edi- 

 son's) consists mainly in the use of the wax covered cylinder, which 

 records much more faithfully the ' timbre " or quality of the sounds 

 than the metal cylinder previously used. The new cylinders mea- 

 sure 2in. in diameter and 4<^in. in length, and can contain 1,000 

 words which are engraved in fine spiral lines ; they are so light 

 that they can easily be sent by post, and they possess the advantage 

 over a written communication of giving the words with every in- 

 flexion of the voice. A similar mstrument, perfected by Mr. Tainter, 

 is the Graphophone, which has the advantage of needmg no electro- 

 motor, as it is worked by a treadle. The recording cylmder, as iu 

 Edison's phonograph, is of wax covered cardboard, but the diaphragm 

 in the original instrument and the re-producer is a thin piece of 

 mica, in the centre of which is the steel point with which the sounds 

 are engraved. From the simplicity of manipulation with the foot 

 in place of an electro-motor, the Graphophone seems more likely 

 to come into general use than the Phonograph. The head of a 

 firm need only speak into it his correspondence, which can be after- 

 wards written down verbatim by a clerk. It would also be of 

 great service to journalists and reporters, who could leave their 

 articles to be written down by others. 



The electric lighting of ships is occupying much attention ; the 

 fact of the great weight of the accumulators has been thought a 

 serious objection, but if it can be made to serve as ballast, the 

 weight would even le an advantage. A small dynamo which would 

 charge the accumulator would serve not only to light the ship, but 

 might form a reserve for mechanical power, such as hauling the 

 ropes or weighing the anchor. 



Many trials have been made in fishing by electric lamps under 

 water, and in most cases with success. One great difficulty has 

 been that the mains of the lamps have fouled with the fishing line^, 

 but this has been obviated by the use of a lamp worked by a 

 primary battery which can be tossed overboard and recovered at a 

 future time. Last Summer some Liverpool naturalists made an 

 excursion between Liverpool and the Isle of Man, and succeeded 

 in obtaining many interesting objects by means of these submerged 

 lamps, both at the surface and the bottom of the sea. They also 

 experimented by fishing at the same time from one side of the ship, 



