New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-11-19
SCIENCE AND THE USEFUL ARTS.
prtpayed for the ". Y. Tribune.

OyDtthOlooU-Mr. j. O0ULD Idteiy Iedu
,h. r. Geological Society OF London minute de-
,crin,io, If s,x new species OF hamming birds,
broueht from veragua, IN New-Granaia, by MI
waryewiez. a distinguished traveller and ootanlsi'
Some specmens thosght to have been spoiled on
the VOYAGE. were still beautiful, colored glittering
rod blue and green color mixed with snow whlte OF
a brlliancy enhanced by darker coiors. Ihey were
discovered a. 900 feet up the mountains where hey
;nhabit Mr.. w. is the first naturalist who has PEN
Grated into those parts where he encountered BON
hardship and danger
Neteoroloo,cal Observations, made by MIR.
Tbompson at CHS xick, near London, and by MI
Veal. al Boston, during the month Of August show
that the mean hight of the barometer was at Chswck
sOinches at Boston, 295l inches The mean tenn
,e,a,ure was at C. 62o Far; at 3. so 40 Far. The
quantity Of rain during the month was at c. 2os
inches at B. I64 inches During "a days out OF the
Al of that month the directions Of the wind at the
two places were within AS OF each other. Daring
4 of the other DAYS, there was a calm preventing
comparison, and during the remaining days the
angle was never above 9O0.
California Gold. This gold has whit
ish color due to large proportion OF silver, WHICH
gives il quite a new appearance Professor TENANT,
of Kings College, London, having expenmented
with the crucible, on "a large piece OF god-pearhg
quartz nom California, weighing les II o. mas
found in it h. OF. of quartz lsb OF pure gold,
and Al o. of silver making the silver 20 per cent on
the amount of gold. Such results happen IN large
pieces while the gold found in small pieces is the
purest
Matching Turtles EggS.-Mr. Vallee,
keeper of reptiles at the Garden Of Plants observed
six eggs on the sand in the space reserved for turtles
Having placed three of them in the Matching appara
tus ne found there turtle two months AFTER the size
of walnut This is the first time that turtle has
been Matched by artificial means.
New Etching Liquor for Copper-plate
MISUNDERSTANDING on copper with nitric acid has
the great inconvenience of producing disengage-
ment of gases which remain in small globules be-
tween the copper and the liquid, and prevent the
uniform action of the latter Engravers, to obviate
this defect either shake the plate, or with their
breath or otherwise force the acid to move and carry
off these elobues Mr.. Kobe Prussian, has dis
covered that the chloride OF iron combines with
CONFER without the production of gases, and that II
NAV be used by engravers without difficulty. To
prepare the salt iron tunngs dissolvedi IN hydro
chloric acid, and a hot aqueous solution OF hydro
chlorate of potash is added, until the color, at rst
deep brown, acquires the yellowish hue OF beer.
This diluted with weak hydro.chlorate acid, is
the liquor ready for use. II acts on copper by
Transforming it into chloruret of "copper" which the
hydro chorate of potash converts into chloride OF
copper. The liquor may be kept in good condition
wv adding to it, from time to time hot solution OF
hydro-chlorate of potash.
Railroads in Spain-The Spanish Cortes
have decided that the gauge, feet 81 inches,
shall be used for all the railroads to be built IN that
country.
improvement in RailroadS.-Under this
head we lately published description of a new In
yenton, which has been copied and criticised IN The
Scientific American This criticism shows COM
plete of the principle of the inven
we will repeat it briefly. Two parallel lines of rails
three feet apart and elevated from two to SIX feet
abeve the ground, are maintained by appropriate
contriyances against the sides OF wooden posts, In
such manner to leave the space free above, IN
der and between them. Cars and locomotive o.!
light frame being placed upon the rails, each car is
then firmly united by braces and stays with beams
running cross way under one under each extremity
These beams are lower than the rails, and long
enough to have their extremities under them TO
these extremties attached artificial magnetism,
If it wiz make il any clearer, natural loadstones-
which, BY their tendency toward the rails above,
will counterbalance large part of the weight oil
the cars as the constructor thinks desirable, the re-
mainder Of the weight being left to act on the wheels
In this way locomotive Of small power, and conse-
quently light, will prove sufficient to draw the train
with great velocity.
A Big Steamship. The largest steamer
ever built is now making in Scotland for the PENN
sular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. She will
be in length 325 feet, breadth of beam 43 feet mea
surement 600 uns, the collective power of her four
engines l,4O0l horses, she is guaranteed to go IA
knots an hour.
Semmering LocomOtire.-The prize offer
ed By the Austrian Government for the locomotive
best adapted TO ascend steep decliviiles has been
gained by Mr.. Marley, manufacturer of Munich.
The Submarine Telegraph The cable
has now been submerged five weeks between Dover
and Calais but owing TO the fact that the cable Is
half mile too short to reach the French shore,
communications have not been carried between
England and the Continent The cost of this cable
is $4,000 and is confidently hoped that it Will not
be cut on the rocks by the agitation Of the sea- as
the first was. patent to obviae that difficulty has
been secured IN England by Mr.. Dick, OF Ayr His
process is TO lnclose the wire, previously cased IN
gaita percha, IN a cast iron envelope THIS envel-
ope is made of per foraed balls and perforated cyl
inders threaded on the cable in succession, hfsi
ball, next cylinder another ball. another cylinder
and SO on. OF course the ends Of these cylinders
are so formed as TO fl the balls exactly, and the
structure a succession of knee joints, rather
sharks back bone. This arrangement claims to.pro-
produce an effective protection OF the rope, with
hexibility and cheapness. Speaking of a telegraph
between Europe and the America, The Morning Post
says, that the only difficulty of the undertaking is to
provide the requisite funds Making an estimate
for wire rope one inch in diameter, covered
as usual, the cost would be ESQ per mile. and
the nearest points of Europe and America being
1900 miles apart, the whole expense would not e1-
coed S2,5oo,o00. The importance Of such work Is