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Show i20 Additional Notes. trived a wooden mouth with lips of soft leather, and with a valve <L\ver the bac c part of it for nostrils, both which could be quickly opened or closed by the pressure of the fingers, the vocality was given by a silk ril>bon about an inch long and a quarter of an inch wide stretched between two bits of smooth wood a little hollowed; so that when a gentle current of air from bellows was blown on the edge of the riubon, it gave an agreeal>le tone, as it vibrated between the wooden sides, much like a human voice. This head pronounced the p, b, m, and the vowd a, with so great nicety as to deceive all who heard it unseen, when it pronounced the words mama, papa, map, and pam; and had a most plaintive tone, wbcn the lips were gradually closed. l\1y other occupations prevented me from proceeding in the further construction of this machine; which might have required but thirteen movements, as shown in the above analysis, unlcs some variety of musical note was to be added to the vocali ty produced in the larynx; all of which movements might communicate with the keys of a. harpsichord or forte piano, and perform the song as well as the accompaniment; or which if built in a gigantic form, might sp·eak so loud as to command an army or instruct a crowd. I conclude this with an agreeable hope, that now war is ceased, the active and ingenious of all nations will attend again to those sciences, which better the condition of human nature; aad that the alphabet will undergo a perfect reformation, which may indeed make it more difficult to trace the etymolog·ies of words, but will much facilitate _the acquisition of modern languages; which as science improves and becomes more general1y diffused, will gradually become more distinct .and accurate than the ancient ones; as metaphors will cease to be necessary in conversation, and only be used as the ornaments of poetry. THE END. CON.TENTS OF' THE ADDITIONAL NOTES. NOTE I. SPONTANEOUS VITALITY OF MICROSCOPIC ANIMALS. I. Spontaneous vital production not contrary to criptnrc; to be looked for only in the simplest organic beings; upposed want of analogy no argument against it, as this equally applies to all new. discoveries. II. The power of reproduction di tin~ g.uishes org.anic beings; .which are gradually enlarged an€1 improved by it. ITT. Microscopic animals produced from all vegetable and animal infu~ions; generate others like.. themselves by solitary reproduction; not produced from eggs; c.onferva fontinalis; mucor. III. Theory of spontaneous \'itality. Animal nutrition; vegetable; some organic particles have appetencies to unite, other propensities to be united; buds of trees; . sexual reproduction ; analogy between generation and nutrition; laws of elasticity not understood; dead animalcules recover life by heat and moisture; chaos redi .,. vivum; vorticella; shell-snails; eggs and seeds; hydra. Classes of microscopic anin: u~Js; general remarks. NOTE II. FACULTIES OF THE SENSORIUM. Fibres possess a power of contraction; spir.it of animation immediate cause of the it>. · contracting; stimulus of external bodies the remote cause; stinmlus produces irrita ... tion; due contraction occasions pleasure; too much, or too little, pain; sensation . produces desire or aversion, which constitute volition; as ociatedmotions; irritation; sensation; volition; association; sensorium. NOTE III. VOLCANOES. Th-eir explosiol1S occasioned by water falling on boi~ing lava; primeval earthquakes of great extent; more elastic vapours mig~t raise islands and continents, or even throw the moon from the earth; stones falling from the sky; earthquake . at· Lisbon; subterraneous fires under this island. R |