in mechanics, a human figure, which, by certain springs or other movements, is ca- pable of performing some of the natural motions of a living man. The motions of the human body are more complicated, and consequently more difficult to be imi- tated, than those of any other creature; whence the con- struction of an androides, in such a manner as to imitate any of these actions with tolerable exactness, is justly supposed to indicate a greater skill in mechanics than any other piece of workmanship whatever.

A very remarkable figure of this kind appeared in Paris, in the year 1738. It represented a flute-player, and was capable of performing many different pieces of music on the German flute; which, considering the difficulty of blowing that instrument, the different con- tractions of the lips necessary to produce the distinctions between the high and low notes, and the complicated motions of the fingers, must appear truly wonderful.

This machine was the invention of M. Vaucanson, member of the Royal Academy of Sciences; and a par- ticular description of it was published in the Memoirs of the Academy for that year: but as the description there given behoved to be not only unentertaining, but absolutely unintelligible, to a great number of readers, we must content ourselves with giving an account only of its general principles, and the method by which the air was conducted to, and afterwards modified in, the body of the figure, so as to produce the surprising effects above mentioned.

The figure itself was about five feet and an half in height, situated at the end of an artificial rock, and pla- ced upon a square pedestal four feet and an half high, and three and an half broad. The air entered the body by three pipes separated one from the other. It was conveyed to them by nine pair of bellows, three of which were placed above, and six below. These were made to expand and contract regularly in succession, by means of an axis of steel turned round by some clock- work. On this axis were different protuberances at proper distances, to which were fixed cords thrown over pulleys, and terminating in the upper boards of the bellows, so that, as the axis turned, these boards were al- ternately raised and let down. A contrivance was also used to prevent the disagreeable hissing fluttering noise usually attending the motion of bellows. This was by making the cord, by which the bellows was moved, pass, in its descent, upon one end of a smaller lever, the other end of which ascending forced open the small lea- thern valve that admitted the air, and kept it so, till the cord being relaxed by the descent of the upper board, the lever fell, and the air was forced out. Thus the bellows performed their functions constantly without the least hissing or other noise by which it could be judged in what manner the air was conveyed to the ma- chine. The upper boards of three of the pairs of bel- lows were pressed down by a weight of four pounds, that of three others by a weight of two pounds, and those of the three remaining ones by nothing but their own weight.

The three tubes, by which the air entered, terminat- ed in three small reservoirs in the trunk of the figure. There they united, and, ascending towards the throat, formed the cavity of the mouth, which terminated in two small lips adapted in some measure to perform their proper functions. Within this cavity also was a small movable tongue; which by its play, at proper periods, admitted the air, or intercepted its passage to the flute. The fingers, lips, and tongue, received their proper directions by means of a steel cylinder turned by clock-work. It was divided into 15 equal parts, which by means of pegs, pressing upon the ends of 15 differ- ent levers, caused the other extremities to ascend. Sev- en of these levers directed the fingers, having wires and chains affixed to their ascending extremities, which, being attached to the fingers, caused them ascend in proportion as the other extremity was pressed down by the motion of the cylinder, and vice versa. Thus the ascent or descent of one end of a lever produced a si- milar ascent or descent in the corresponding finger, by which one of the holes of the flute was occasionally o- pened or stopped, as by a living performer. Three of the levers served to regulate the ingress of the air, being contrived so as to open and shut, by means of valves, the three reservoirs of air above mentioned, so that more or less strength might be given, and a higher or lower note produced, as occasion required. The lips were, by a similar mechanism, directed by four levers, one of which opened them, to give the air a freer pas- sage; the other contracted them; the third drew them backward; and the fourth pushed them forward. The lips were projected upon that part of the flute which receives the air; and, by the different motions already mentioned, modified the tone in a proper manner. The remaining lever was employed in the direction of the tongue, which it easily moved so as to shut or open the mouth of the flute.

Thus we see how all the motions necessary for a German-flute-player could be performed by this machine; but a considerable difficulty still remains, namely, how to regulate these motions properly, and make each of them follow in just succession. This, however, was effected by the following simple method. The extremity of the axis of the cylinder was terminated on the right side by an endless screw, consisting of twelve threads, each placed at the distance of a line and an half from the other. Above this screw was fixed a piece of copper, and in it a steel pivot, which, falling in between the threads of the screw, obliged the cylinder to follow the threads, and, instead of turning directly round, it was continually pushed to one side. Hence, if a lever was moved, by a peg placed on the cylinder, in any one revolution, it could not be moved by the same peg in the succeeding revolution, because the peg would be moved a line and an half beyond it by the lateral motion of the cylinder. Thus, by an artificial disposition of these pegs in different parts of the cylinder, the statue was made, by the successive elevation of the proper levers, to exhibit all the different motions of a flute-player, to the admiration of every one who saw it.

The construction of machines capable of imitating even the mechanical actions of the human body, shows exquisite skill; but what shall we say of one capable, not only of imitating actions of this kind, but of acting as external circumstances require, as though it were endowed with life and reason? This, nevertheless, has been done. One M. de Kempell, a gentleman of Pressburg in Hungary, excited by the performances of M. de Vaucanson, at first endeavoured to imitate them, and at last far excelled them. This gentleman constructed an Androides capable of playing at chess!—Every one, who is in the least acquainted with this game, must know, that it is so far from being mechanically performed, as to require a greater exertion of the judgment and rational faculties than is sufficient to accomplish many matters of greater importance. An attempt, therefore, to make a wooden chess-player, must appear as ridiculous as to make a wooden preacher, or counsellor of state. That this machine really was made, however, we have the attestation of the Revd Mr. Duttons, whose account appeared in 1779, and is as follows. "This machine represents a man of the natural size, dressed like a Turk, sitting before a table which holds a chess-board. This table (which is about three feet and a half long, and about two feet and an half broad) is supported by four feet, that roll on castors, in order the more easily to change its situation, which the composer fails not to do from time to time, in order to take away all suspicion of any communication. Both the table and the figure are full of wheels, springs, and levers. M. de Kempell makes no difficulty of showing the inside of the machine, especially when he finds any one suspects a boy to be concealed in it. I have examined with attention all the parts both of the table and figure, and I am well assured there is not the least ground for such an imputation. I have played a game at chess with the automaton myself. I have particularly remarked, with great astonishment, the precision with which it made the various and complicated movements of the arm with which it plays. It raises this arm; it advances it towards that part of the chess-board on which the piece stands which ought to be moved; and then, by a movement of the wrist, it brings the hand down upon the piece, opens the hand, closes it upon the piece in order to grasp it, lifts it up and places it upon the square it is to be removed to. This done, it lays its arm down upon a cushion, which stands beside the chess-board. If it ought to take one of its adversary's pieces, then, by one entire movement, it removes that piece quite off the chess-board, and, by a series of such movements as I have been describing, it returns to take up its own piece, and place it in the square which the other had left vacant. I attempted to practise a small deception, by giving the queen the move of a knight: but my mechanic opponent was not to be so imposed on; he took up my queen, and replaced her in the square she had been removed from. All this is done with the same readiness that a common player throws at this game: and I have often engaged with persons who played neither so expeditiously nor so skilfully as this automaton, who yet would have been extremely affronted if one had compared them to him."

Tho' this account is written in such a manner that its authenticity can hardly be questioned, the fact appears so much beyond the verge of credibility, that, without some corroborating evidence, we could scarce have allowed ourselves to believe it; but having been favoured with the following extract of a letter to Sir Wm Forbes of Edin', dated Paris, May 23rd 1777, concerning this machine, we must now look upon its existence as indisputable. "I shall give you what particulars I recollect with regard to my surprising friend.—I was then in company with several English gentlemen: we were introduced to the automaton's chamber: The machine was a well-dressed Turkish figure as large as life, seated at a square table, or rather box (as it was close on all sides), surrounded at a little distance by a rail, within which no person entered but the proprietor (an independent gentleman of Pressburg.) The chess-board seemed fixed to the table, which was so placed, that any person from without the rail could play on it. Before the game began, the proprietor opened the sides of the table, and the body of the Turk; but nothing was to be seen but wheels upon wheels. He then wound up the machine (this he repeated once during the game.) A gentleman of our company was his antagonist; and as he was but a wooden Turk, he gave him the first move. I do not understand the game; but those present who did, said he played very well. The game was left unfinished, as all there were fully satisfied that this wooden Turk did play the game; but no one dared hazard a guess on what principle, or who directed. His right hand, with which he made all his moves, had the fingers as it were drawn together, which he opened and closed at pleasure when he removed any of his men. His face had a serious cast; which, added to a grave shake of the head when any difficulty arose in the game, had a most ridiculous effect: on the contrary, when his adversary laid himself open, his motions were quicker; and when he made a false stroke (which he did on purpose), he immediately removed the man off the board with which the stroke was made. I forgot to mention, that within the rail, at the distance of some feet from the machine, there stood Androlypsy a small square box on a stool, which apparently had no connection with the machine, but which the proprietor said he must have opened had it gone wrong. I imagined I heard a noise in the box like that occasioned by the turning of wheels.—His arm moved horizontally, at a height so as not to discompose the men. When his hand came over the man he wanted to move, he opened his fingers, let it down, closed them on the man, lifted him up and carried him off the board, set him down, and laid his arm down upon the table.

As the inventor of this admirable piece of mechanism hath not yet thought proper to communicate to the public the means by which it is actuated, it is in vain for any, except those who are exquisitely skilled in mechanics, to form conjectures concerning them.—Many other curious imitations of the human body, as well as that of other animals, have been exhibited, though none of them equal to the last mentioned one. See the article Automaton.