Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1845-06-27
CURIOSITlES OF SCIENCE.

ing you that there is pleasure in studying the
sciences, and when we come 10 Natural Histo-
~, we shall find the study of that still more
amusing. The animal and vegetable worlds
are well worthy Of observation. Probably you all
know what is meant by cycloiM. If we make
a spot in the periphery of a wheel, travelling on
a plane, the figure which that spot describes is
a cycloid Now there is no hgur. III which
body can be moved with so much velocity and
such regularity OF speed, not even in a straight
line. -Mathematcians discotsred this not
great many years ago; but Natures God taught
it to the eagle before mathematics were inven-
ted and when the eagle pounces upon his
prey, he describes cycoid.
globe placed in water, or in air, in moving
meets with resistance, and its velocity is re.
tarded. Ii you alter the globe to the form Of
an egg, there will be less resistance. And then
there is form called the solid Of least resistance,
which mathemalicians have studied long time
to discover; and when they had discovered il,
they found they had the form of fish's head !
Nature had rugged out the fish with just such
figure.
The feathers of birds and each particular part
of them are arranged at such an angle as 10 be
most efficient in assisting flight. The human
eye has mirror on which they are conveyed
to the brain and thus we are enabled to take
an interest in objects which pass before the eye.
kind of glasses TO correct the fault; and if it
be not convex enough, Or If we wish to look at
objects at a distance, we use glasses Of entirely
another description.
But birds cannot get spectacles, Providence
has given them method of supplying the def |
cheney, They have the power OF contracting
the eye, Of making ii more convex, SO as to see
the specks which float in the atmosphere, and
catch them for food and also fattering the eye
to see to great distance, and observe whether
any vullure is threatening them. In addition to
this they have film or coating which can be
suddenly thrown over the eye 10 protect il
because at the velocity with which they fly, and
with the delicate texture Of their eye, the least
speck of dust would act upon il, as penknfe
thrust into the human eye. The film is to pros
tcct the eye; and the same thing exists TO some
extent in the eye Of the horse. The horse has
large eye, very liable TO take dus.-This
coating in a horses eye is called hda, or third
eyeld, and if you will watch closely, you may
see it decend and return with electric velocity.
| 1t clears awav the dust anG protects the eye
from injury. Ii The eye should catch cold, the
haw hardens and projects, aud ignorant persons
cut it off, and thus destroy this safeguard.
You all know, if you take pound of iron,
make OF it rod foot long, what weight it will
support. But if it be hollow rod it will sup.
port a weight many times greater than before.
Nature seems to have taken advantage of this,
also, long before nathematicians had discovered
it, and all the bones Of animals are hollow.
The bones of birds are large, because they must
be strong TO move their large wings with sufi-
Gent velocity but they must also be light, in
order to float easily upon the air. Birds also
illustrate another fact in natural philosophy. Ii
you take bag, make it air tight, and put it un-
der water, it will support a large weight.-Now
bird has such an air bag. When he wishes
to descend he composers it at will and falls
raddy; when he would rise, he increases it
and floats with ease. lie also has the power OF
forcing air into the hollow parts Of the body, and
thus to assist his flight. The same thing may
, be observed in fishes. They have also an air
bag to enable them to rise or sink in the water
till they find their proper temperature.
II they wish 10 rise they increase it. and if
: they wish to sink they compress it, and down
they CO. Sometimes the fish in sinking make
too strong an effort to compress this air bag
then down he goes to the bottom, and there re-.
mains for the rest of his life. Founders and
some other fish have no air bag; and SO they
, are never found swimming on the surface but
always caught at the bottom.
!, In this way are the principles Of science ap.
piled to almost every thing. You wish to know
how TO pack the greatest amount Of bulk in the
: smallest space-the form Of cylinders leave
L large spaces between them. Mathematicians
4 labored long time to find what figure could be
used so as TO lose no space and at last found
!, that it was the six sided figure, and also thai
three planes ending in point, formed the
- strongest roof or floor. The honey bee dscov.
: cred the same things a good while ago
y Honeycomb is made up OF six.slded figures, ant
: the roof is built with three plain surfaces COM
g ing to point.
If II flexible vessel be emptied of air, its side
will be almost crushed together by the pressure
}, of the surrounding atmosphere And ii tube
partly filled with fluid, be empted of its air, tn,
u fluid will rise to the top. The bee understand
this; and when he comes to the cup Of the tai
n honeysucklc and fluids that he cannot reach thu
= sweet matter at the bolt IN, thrusts in his body
10 shuts up the bower and then exhausts the ali
and SO possesses himself Of the dust and hone
n of the flower. The feet of flies and lizards ar
CT instructed on a similar principle, and thus the
:, walk with ease on glass or ceiling. Their fee
!" are made so as 10 create a vacuum Of atmos
Is phere, fifteen pounds to the square inch, to en-
g. able them to hold on. The cat has the sam
er power to less extent.
I'd Plants require the sunlight, and some flower
turn towards the sun, as it travels round fror
~ east to west. The sunfower does this, and S
does field Of clover The facts, though W
-, have not got the reason Of them, are extremel
:! interesting.
~ You all know that if hollow ball be file
~ will, gas lighter than air it will rise and fos
=. away. This fact is beautifully carried Out
III mai ure. The farina or impregnation dust
plants, are little balls extremely thin, and file
I'd with light gas. They are blown of from III
We male plant, and by falling upon the female plar
a. impregnate it. Nature has SO arranged il, tn;
the unciuous matter, which causes the impree
mating part Of plants to attach to others, neve
! occurs precisely the same in male and femal
plants. Thus II the farina Of the male plant b
ms the male plant, it does not adhere bu. il it b
We tina female it does attach the ball bursts, b,
all they are fastened and take effect. The in
pregnaton often takes place many yards distan
In raising Indian corn. you must all have M
la tced that single hill Of red corn will be sea
tered to long distance through ths whole.
The Virginia creeper throws out ,endrils
N, the form of foot, with fine toes each toe has
large number OF hairs or spine, which entcrir
:, the small opening Of brick or lime, swell al
AZ hold on; but when decaying they shrink and Il
ny plant fall of. The vanilla plant Of the We
I'D Indies exhibits a singular construction exec
an that it winds itself around other objects.
The gastric juice is worthy Of romark. II
tasteess, cOlorless, inodorous, llunpid fluid, ii
''- water, and is adapted in different animals 70
Tho ferent purposes. In the hysna and other Cd
niverous animals II will not dissolve live Ae