This volume covers the periods July-August 1876 and January-Nebruary 1877. It is divided into two parts, each consisting of a series of soft-cover tablet notebooks. Part One contains nine notebooks, encompassing pages 1-256 and covering the period January-Nebruary 1877. Part Two contains four notebooks, encompassing pages 257-363 and covering the period July-August 1876.

The notes and drawings in Part One are primarily by Edison. Others are by James Adams and several were witnessed by Adams and Charles Batchelor. Most of the notes relate to etheric force investigations; experiments with ink and paper, including ink for the blind; and electrochemical experiments. There are also notes on electromotograph experiments; drawings of the autographic pen and press; and notes and drawings for the design of a mirror galvanometer. The last page of Part One refers to the speaking telegraph. Most of the experiments are chemical in nature and a number of pages appear to have been damaged by chemicals.

The notes and drawings in Part Two are primarily by Edison; others are by James Adams and Edward H. Johnson. They relate primarily to experiments in acoustic and multiple telegraphy, the use of the electromotograph for telegraphic purposes, and experiments with batteries for sending telegraph messages by submarine cable. There are also notes and drawings of electrometers and galvanometers.

The notebooks are arranged in the following order:

Part One:\n\n
1) \""No. 1.\"" pp. 1-36, January 11-12, 1877.\n\n
2) \""No. 2.\"" pp. 37-71, January 12-13, 1877.\n\n
3) \""No. 3.\"" pp. 72-107, January 13, 1877.\n\n
4) Untitled [continuation of \""No. 3\""]. Pp.108-125, January 14-16 and February 3-13, 1877.\n\n
5) \""No. 4.\"" pp. 126-160, January 17-21, 1877.\n\n
6) \""No. 1 -- Platina Solution.\"" pp. 161-182, January 21-27 and February 14-15, 1877.\n\n
7) \""No. 5.\"" pp. 183-208, January 23, 1877.\n\n
8) Untitled. pp. 209-232, undated.\n\n
9) Untitled. pp. 233-256, February 2-14, 1877.\n\n

Part Two:\n\n
1) Untitled. pp. 257-280, August 2-6, 1876.\n\n
2) Untitled. pp. 281-319, July 30-August 9, 1876.\n\n
3) Untitled. pp. 323-334, August 3, 1876.\n\n
4) Untitled. pp. 335-363, August 6-22, 1876.\n\n

Pages 320-322 are missing. These pages were used in October 1880 as exhibits in an interference proceeding involving Edison, Amos E. Dolbear, and George L. Anders. Photolithographs of the original drawings can be found in the U.S. Patent Office Interference Files, Box 1103, Record Group 241, Records of the Patent Office, National Archives and Records Service. Photocopies of these facsimiles were added by the editors to complete the volume.

The following pages, containing only samples of"