% Itffo |||raaiitograp|. 
By Professor SILVANUS P. THOMPSOxV, D.Sc., B.A. 
HE Phonautograpb, invented in 3 859 by Leon Scott de 
X Martin ville, of Paris, and perfected by Dr. Rudolph Kbnig, 
is an instrument for recording graphically traces corresponding 
to the vibrations of sounds. It consisted, in the original (and 
usual) form of instrument, of three essential parts : 
(a) A receiver, in the shape of a hollow paraboloid closed at 
the lower end by a thin membrane of skin to take up the 
vibrations. 
(b) A light style made of a hog’s bristle attached to the 
membrane, and working with guiding levers or joints. 
(c) A recording apparatus consisting of a cylinder covered 
with smoked paper to receive the traces of the style, and rotating 
upon a screw axis which at the same time carried it longitudinally 
forward. 
With this instrument Scott and Konig made a number of 
researches about the years 1859-64, and examined the traces of 
a good many sounds. 
Simple musical tones gave simple harmonic curves as their 
traces. 
Simple combinations of consonant tones gave more complex 
harmonic curves. 
Mere noises produced totally irregular traces. 
