# What is this device called and where can I get one?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-device-called-and-where-can-i-get-one/623187>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 26, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-device-called-and-where-can-i-get-one/623187 "2012-05-26T18:31:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-device-called-and-where-can-i-get-one/623187/1 "2012-05-26T18:31:29Z")

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My memory of this is pretty fuzzy so please bear with me.

Several years ago, I saw a show on the History Channel about various surprising bits of ancient technical and engineering cleverness. This show mostly featured ancient Greece and Rome but did spend some time on a world tour of other culture’s innovations.

One of the things presented looked like a collection of copper plumbing. When water was poured into the top of the device, it would flow through a series of orifices. In the process of water pushing air through this collection of tubes it would produce a sound remarkably like the warble of songbirds.

What was this thing called? I’d like to make or buy a modern reproduction if possible.

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**Author:** ![moldmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@moldmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moldmonkey)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-device-called-and-where-can-i-get-one/623187/2 "2012-05-26T18:55:15Z")

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Apparently called a water organ or hydraulis:

> **[Water organ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_organ)**
>
> The water organ or hydraulic organ (Greek: ὕδραυλις) (early types are sometimes called hydraulos, hydraulus or hydraula) is a type of pipe organ blown by air, where the power source pushing the air is derived by water from a natural source (e.g. by a waterfall) or by a manual pump. Consequently, the water organ lacks a bellows, blower, or compressor.
> The hydraulic organ is often confused with the hydraulis. The hydraulis is the name of a Greek instrument created by Ctesibius of Alexandria. The ...

.

I can’t find anything with one for sale or plans to build one.

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**Author:** ![moldmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@moldmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moldmonkey)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-device-called-and-where-can-i-get-one/623187/3 "2012-05-26T19:07:01Z")

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Found some more background. Ancient automata is pretty amazing.

[http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Ctesibius1.htm](http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Ctesibius1.htm)

[http://www.orgona.hu/orgonaink/tuzolto\_orgona\_e.html](http://www.orgona.hu/orgonaink/tuzolto_orgona_e.html)

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**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\
**Post date:** [May 26, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-this-device-called-and-where-can-i-get-one/623187/4 "2012-05-26T19:45:10Z")

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Here’s a [website](http://funtain.ca/) for a guy who designed what he calls a funTain. Cool video and you can probably contact him for more info.