The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-04-13
The Pleasures OF science

1
This was the subject of interesting lecture delivered
by Professor Mapes before the Library Association OF
| Newark, New Jersey on Friday evening. Among the
curious and interesting facts stated BY the lecturer, the
Newark Daily Advertiser notes the following
mention these facts (said he) in the hope Of showing
that there is pleasure in studying the sciences and
when we come 10 Natural History. we should hnd the
study OF that still amusing The animal and vegea-
bic worlds are well worthy OF observation. Probably
you all know what is meant By eyclom; II we made
spot the pc erphery OF wheel travelling on plane,
the figure which that spot describes is called cyclod
Now, there is figure in which body can be moved
with so much velocity aud regularity oil speed--not even
Mahema,icians discovered this not many years ago,
bu, Natures God taught il to the eagle before mathe-
mates invented; and when the eagle pounces upon
his prey, he describes The figure Of cycsid
There is form called the solid OF least resistance,
which maihema,cians studied for many years TO dscov
and when they had discovered 1T, they had the form
| OF hshs head
The feathers OF BIRDS and each particular part Of them,
arranged be most efficient in assisting flight
The human eye has mirror upon which objects are re-
Aected, and nerve by which these reflections are con-
veyed TO the brain. Now when the eye is Too
we use glasses TO correct The fault But birds cannot
get them, Providence has given them the power OF con-
ractng the eye making more convex, so as to see the
specks which float in the atmosphere, and also OF atten
ing the eye, as TO see 10 great distance In addition
TO this, they have film which can be suddenly thrown
down the eye to protect IT, because at the velocity
with which they fly. and the delicate texture OF their eye
the least speck of dust would act upon It as pen knife
thrust into the human eye. This film IN the horses eye
/
closely you may il descend and return with electric
velocity.
You all know II you take pound Of iron, and make il
a rod or foot long, what weight will support; but il
il be hollow rod ii will support weigh, many times
greater than before. Nature seems TO have taken ad
vantage Of this Also long before ahemaiicians had dis
| covered il; aud all the bones OF animals are hollow
The bones Of birds large because they must be strong
to move their large wings with sufficient velocity, bu
they mus, be light in order 10 noat easily upon the air
Birds also illustrate another fact IN natural philosophy
uke hup he Air II nj
| il will support large weighisay hundred pounds
But twist IT, or diminish the air, and It will support
such weight Now, birds and fishes have such an air
bag
In this way are the principles of science applied TO al
most everything You wish to know how TO pack the
greatest amount OF bulk in the smallest space. The
forms of cylinders leave large spaces between them
Mathematicians labored for long time TO find what fig
ure could be used to lose no space. and al last
found that II was the sr sided figure and also that three
planes ending 10 point formed the strongest root OF
hoor The honeybee discovered the same things good
while ago Honey comb is made up OF sx-sided figures
and the roof built Of three plane surfaces coming TO
point
If flexible vessel be empted OF air, its sides will be
almost crushed together by the surrounding atmosphere
and If tube partly filled with fluid be emptied OF its air
the fluid will to the top The bee understands this and
when he TO the cup o the tall honey snckle and
finds that he reach The sweet matter at its bottom
he hruss in his body, shuts the flower and then ex
hauss the and possesses himself OF the dust and
honey OF the flower The feet OF flies and lizards are
constructed on similar principle, and they thus walk
with ease on glass or ceiling.
Plants require the sunlight, and some flowers turn
themselves towards the il travels from east 10
west. The sun-aowcr does this so does field Of
clover
| You all know that il ball be filled with gas lighter
than the air, it will rise and Roat away The fact j,
beautifully carried out in Nature The far,na, imprcg
mating dus, of plants, little balls, extremely tbin and
filed with light gas They blown of nom the male
plant and by falling upon the female plant mpregnate Il
The VIgIn,d creeper throws out endrs in the form Of
a foot with five toes each toe has a large number o
hairs or spnes, which, entering the small openings Of
brick lime, swell or hold on but when decayine
they shrink. and the plant falls of The Vanilla plant
] OF the West Indies exhibits similar construction
/ The gastric juice-a tasteess, coloress. inodorous
nudis adapted different animals to different purposes
In the hyena and other carnivorous animals will not
dissolve live Resh but will dissolve dead flesh On the
other hand some animals live entirely upon vegetables
and their gastric Juice will not dissolve animal food
| We cannot alter the nature Of animal BY changing
| its food When bees lose their queen bee-whch - an
entirely different animal from the working bee-it yor
present another TO them within twenty four, they vii
not accept her OF obey her. They prefer taking al
ordinary grub before il has bscome Aer. and teeding
| with particular food and treating in peculiar way
and when 1t leaves the grub state, becomes greer
bee and they always suffer themselves TO be governe
by her