The Phonograph. [April, 
Stroh’s instrument, which has been described, and which is 
illustrated in Fig. 4. 
The first words were spoken into the mouthpiece by 
Mr. Puscus. The mouthpiece was then withdrawn, the cy- 
linder turned back until the pin was at the beginning of the 
groove, a cone of paper or speaking trumpet was put on in 
front of the mouthpiece, and the handle once more rotated, 
when the instrument shouted out, in a perfectly clear voice, 
“ The Phonograph presents its compliments to the audience.” 
This was heard in every portion of the hall of the Institu- 
tion of Civil Engineers, and brought forth rounds of applause, 
to which were added roars of laughter, when it again called 
out in a voice still clearer than before, “ How do you do ? 
How do you like the Phonograph ?” and then began to laugh 
in veritable hearty human laughter, “ Ha ! ha! ha! ha! 
ha ! hurray ! ” 
Mr. Pigeon’s instrument was next tried, and the sublime 
words of the national war song — 
“ We don’t want to fight, but by Jingo if we do,” 
followed by the recital of the equally ennobling creation of 
the poet— 
“ Twinkle, twinkle, little star, 
How I wonder what you are.” 
were given by the instrument with an emphasis entirely its 
own, which caused great merriment. 
A song was next sung into the mouthpiece, and was re- 
produced amazingly out of tune, in consequence of the 
impossibility of obtaining a perfectly uniform speed of 
rotation. 
When, however, Mr. Stroh’s instrument was brought into 
use, the value to the phonograph of controlling the speed 
of the cylinder by mechanical means was at once apparent, 
for not only was the articulation of spoken words more 
perfe( 5 t, but songs sung into it by Mr. Spagnoletti, Mr. 
Edmunds, and Mr. Preece, were reproduced with very res- 
pectable correctness; and even the breakdown of one of the 
singers at a high note, accompanied by a little impatient 
remark, was faithfully recorded, and given out again with 
exasperating fidelity. 
At the Physical Society, on March 2nd, the instrument 
was again described by Mr. Preece, followed by a similar 
series of experiments, with the addition of causing the in- 
strument to perform the wonderful feat of reproducing a duet 
