1835.] Application of Iron Rods to Pianos. 643 



that have been brought to light in the present investigation, names 

 for which we are indebted to the joint contributions of not less than 

 a dozen friends*, leaving the proper arrangement of them to a mote 

 advanced stage of our knowledge than we at present possess. 



The following are the names and titles that appear on the coins 

 of the two last plates. 



1 . Sri Apardjita dhvaja Kumdragnpta pardkrama. 



2. Sri Vikrama Chandra. 



3. A'patti rurhah, or Bhupatirurha. 



4. Kragipta paragu (pta.) 



5. Chandragnpta. 



6. Maharaja adhi raja Sri .... Sri pradyu Vikrama. 



7. Sri Vikrama Narendra gupta. 



8. Maharaja adhi raja Sri Samudragupta. 



9. . . Sri bal vikrama Kumdragnpta 



10. Ajita manatrigupta 



11. Asvumedha pardkrama. 

 To these may be added the 



12. Vikramdditya of Marsden's collection, and the 



13. Sasi-gupta, of Prof, Wilson's plates. 



[To be continued.] 



IV. — Application of Iron Rods, proposed to compensate for the strain 

 occasioned by the tension of the strings upon Piano Fortes, thereby to 

 prevent warping, and to render them more durable and better adapted 

 to keep longer in tune. By Col. D. Presgrave. 



By a notice in your Journal, No. 17, May 1833, of some improve- 

 ments that had been made in square piano-fortes, I am induced to 

 send an account of a scheme, which I devised and put in practice in 

 January, 1833. The object of which is to strengthen the instrument, 

 so as to prevent warping or twisting, thereby rendering it more 

 lasting and less liable to get out of tune. 



It is stated in the above-quoted article, that it is by the slipping of 

 the round iron pegs in their wooden sockets, that a piano gets out of 

 tune; but I am inclined to think, that this is not to be attributed so 

 much to that circumstance, as to other causes, such as change in the 

 level of the instrument by the unceasing strain or tension upon it; 

 the effect of temperature on the wires, and of the atmosphere on the 

 porous material (wood) of which the instrument is constructed. 

 "Whilst pianos are very new, they require comparatively little tuning ; 



* Ventura, Kera'mat Ali, Wade, Tregear, Cunningham, Buut, Stacy, 

 Watson, Smith, Swiney, Cracroft, and Conolly. 



