160 TlMEHRI. 
transmission of vibration is effected through electricity, 
bringing to us in place of the click clack of the tele- 
graph the very voice of our telephone correspondent. 
Looking at these two marvels of modern science, is it 
too much to hope that some day, far distant scenes may 
be brought as vividly to the eye as distant sounds are 
now conveyed to the ear ? It is, we must remember, but 
a question of transmitting undulations or vibrations, and 
there are certain relations between sounds and colour 
which, as yet imperfectly understood, are nevertheless 
recognized, and are being patiently worked out. We 
recollect how the blind man thought scarlet was like the 
sound of a trumpet, and now we hear, that certain lights, 
yellow for instance, affe6t the sense of hearing. Electri- 
city or electro-magnetism seems destined to become one 
great source of motive power whenever steam, from 
exhaustion of coal deposits or other causes, ceases to be 
the most available or cheapest. 
There is another, if minor result of applied electricity 
to which we are indebted for the more sightly 
and cleanly electroplated articles we now use com- 
pared with the pewter things of former days. The 
old system of coating or veneering inferior metal with 
gold and silver by mechanical pressure has almost en- 
tirely been superseded by the discovery that metals may 
be deposited from their solutions by means of electricity. 
I need only refer to the creation or reproduction at 
moderate cost, of art objects equal in appearance to the 
most valuable work of ancient or modern artists. By 
means of this same electro-plating or electro-typing, 
engraving can also be effected. With the help of photo- 
graphy a picture is thrown on to a plate of gelatine coated 
