See PHONICS. In this place we take the opportunity of introducing a notice of an extraordinary machine lately invented by Professor Faber, and now being exhibited in this country. It is called the Euphonic, or Speaking Automaton, as it imitates most of the sounds of the human voice with considerable accuracy; also sings, whispers, laughs, etc. The principal organs of articulation are composed of caoutchouc, and a wind-chest performs the functions of lungs. An arrangement of keys similar to those of a pianoforte, communicate with the organs of speech, and when pressed by the fingers of the operator in the proper combinations, cause them to utter syllables, words and sentences. It far exceeds all previous attempts to produce speech by mechanism. Although such attempts at imitating nature seem at first as a misdirection of ingenuity and labour, let us not overlook the fact, that we are indebted to the visionary alchemist for many of our important chemical discoveries.

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