Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-03-18
NUMBER OF ANIMALS IN EXISTENCE.

NUMBER OF ANIMALS IN EXISTENCE.
The number of vertebrated animals
is estimated at 10000; about l, 500
species Of mammals are pretty precise
ly known, and the number may proba-
bly, be carried to about 1000. The
number of birds we'll known is about
1900 or 5000 species, and the prob
able number is 5000. The reptiles
number about the same as the man.
mals-1 500 described species-and
they will probably reach the number of
1000.
The fishes are more numerous there
are from 5000 to 5000 species in the
museums Of Europe, and the number
may probably amount to 5000 or 49,
900. The number of molusks already
in collections probably reaches 5000
or 10000. There are collections Of
marine shells, bivedoc and univalve,
which amount to 5000 or 1000; and
collections Of land and auventile shells
which count as many as 1000. The to-
tai number Of mollusks would probably
exceed $4,000 species.
Among the articulated animals it is
difficult to estimate the number Of spe-
cies There are collections of coleop-
ferrous insects which number 20, 900 to
IS, 900 species and It is quite proba-
Bile that, by uniting the principal col
lectlons Of insects, 10000 or $4,000
species might now be counted; for the
whole department Of articulata, COM
prising the crustacea, cirhipeda, the in
sects, the re ;bloodod worms, the intes-
final worms, and the infusoria, as far
as they belong to this department, the
number would already amount to 100,-
900; and it is believed that the prob
able number Of species actually exist
ing may be estimated at double that
sum. Add to all these about 1000
for radiata, evenhi star fishes, medusa,
and polypi, and We have about $780,
900 species Of living animals and SUP
posing the pumber of fossil species to
equal them, we have, at very moder-
ute computation, half million species.
PRESERVING BUrrER.-A patent has
been secured by W. Clark, Of London,
for the following method Of preserving
butter: The butter is first we'll beaten
in the usual manner after churning
| then placed between linen cloths and
submitted to severe pressure for remov-
ing whey and water. It is completely
enveloped or covered with clean white
paper, which is coated on both sides
with preparation of the white Of eggs,
in which fifteen grains Of salt are used
for each egg. This prepared paper is
first dried, then heated before FIRE, OF
with hot iron, just prior to wrapping
it round the butter. It is stated that
butter may be kept perfectly sweet
without any salt for two months, when
thus treated, if placed in a cool, dry
cellar. The submitting Of butter to
pressure, as described, is good plan
and one which We recommend to all oul
farmers. They can easily practice ii
with a small cheese-press. Scientific
fine racdn.
SoLITUDE.-Our lives would be long
er, our thoughts richer in results, were
we to devote few hours of each week
to solitude. The constant strain which
business imposes upon tho mind and
body sooner or later degenerates both
often inducing or developing the
most dangerous maladies. DR.. Tim
norman understood this we'll, and in
his delightful volume, the "Pleasure.
Of Solitude," lays it down as an incon-
trovertible axiom that no man can be
exempt from disease who does not re-
tire at stated periods, to contemplate,
not the vicissitudes Of life or trade, but
the harmonies Of Nature. Great mind.
have often felt the necessity Of solitude.
1t is "when most alone they are most
with themselves :" forgetting the hurly-
burly Of life, the promptings Of ambi-
ton, they are enabled, when refresh
ed, to re-enter the arena and do battle
with vigor unknown to them before
they sought seclusion. The bow that
is never relaxed becomes in time worth
less, and the mind that Knows no re-
pose rclapses into idiocy.
EARTHQUAKES 7enacity Of Life.
AT the Royal Institution, London,
DR.. Lacaita recently delivered a lecture
on the earthquakes Of southern Italy,
and stated that during the last seventy
five years the kingdom Of Naples had
lost 10000 inhabitants by such ca
lamities! In 1888, young and beau
tiful girl was buried under some ruins
caused by great earthquake, and was
dug out alive after eleven days, during
which she had counted the days by a
single ray Of light, which reached her
through crevice. She lived for nine
years afterwards, but was always sad
and gloomy. In the earthquake of De-
cember, 1857, two little girls were
buried in the ruins Of a house one
died, but the other was disentombed
alive after eight days, and she still
lives. A donkey which had been buried
for fifteen days was dug out alive; two
mules after twenty-five days; and pigs
after thirty-two days!
GREAT ACCUMULATION OF SPECIE
There is more Of the precious metals
in the United States, in proportion to
its inhabitants, than any other country
in the world. In the year 1889 we had
but $52,000,000, and now we have
$500, 000,0 900, giving to each inhabit-
ant of the Union, slaves and all, if the
snecie we're divided among them $12