“An account of the mechanism of an automaton or image playing on the German Flute: as it was presented in a memoire, to the gentlemen of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris. By M. Vaucanson, Inventor and maker of the said machine. Together with a description of an artificial Duck, eating, drinking, macerating the food, &c. As also that of another image, no less wonderful than the first, playing on the tabor and pipe; as he has given an account of them since the memoir was written. Translated out of the French original, by J. T. Desaguliers, LL.D., F.R.S., Chaplain to his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, 4to. 1742.” [24 pages, and an engraved frontispiece.] 47. To make a Ball of any metal, which thrown into a Pool or Pail of water shall presently rise from the bottom, and constantly shew by the _superficies_ of the water the hour of the day or night, never rising more out of the water then just to the minute it sheweth of each quarter of the hour; and if by force kept under water, yet the time is not lost, but recovered as soon as it is permitted to rise to the _superficies_[9] of the water. Footnote [9] surface. P. [_An Hour Water-ball._] The 4th article of his selected list of his inventions supplies the following varied reading:-- “By these (his quintessence of Motion) I can make a ball of silver or gold, which thrown into a pail, or poole of water, shall arise again to the perfect hour of any day or night. The superficies of the water shall still show the hour distinctly; even the minutes, if I please.” See Appendix A. Many curious specimens of these Horologies occur in the description of M. Grollier de Servière’s cabinet, published 1719. 48. A scrued Ascent, instead of Stairs, with fit landing places to the best Chambers of each Story, with Back-stairs within the Noell[1] of it, convenient for Servants to pass up and down to the inward Rooms of them unseen and private. Footnote [1] Noell, in the MS. [_A scru’d ascent of Stairs._] This title does not strictly agree with the text, for there is a material difference between “a screwed ascent, _instead_ of stairs,” and “a screwed ascent of stairs;” the former altogether dispenses with stairs, giving the idea of an inclined ascent without steps, such as is employed in the construction of the Observatory of Copenhagen; the width being sufficient and the ascent so gradual, that a carriage and four may easily be driven up to the top circular gallery. According to this improvement there are “back-stairs within the _noell_,” that is, the Noel, Nowel, Noyau, or Newell, a term applied to the centre round which the stairs of a circular staircase wind, and which may be either a solid column, or an open space. Such stairs are said to be neweled.