The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-04-05
NEW ORLEANS, SUNDAY, APRIL 5. 1853.
SCIENTIFIC, HurolICAI, ETC. 81

steadily till consumed. Any one can rea,
cod 6ftably by its light.
COURAGE OF SCIENCE.-COurage in tn,
battle field is celebrated in history and il
hibited in pursuing scientific investigations
though often displaying more real bravery
than was ever called into action in war. i
is said that when Arago and Dulong wer,
employed by the French Government t.
make experiments upon the subject of thu
task was one ofas much danger as difficulty
The bursting of boilers, to which they wers
constantly exposed in . limited locality
was more hazardous than that of shells upor
battle field, for while military officers who
assisted them-men of tried courage in the
sonfiict-grew pale, and fed from the scene
the Swans proceeded coOlly to make theii
calculations, and to observe the tempera-
ture and pressure upon tho boilers almost
at the very point of explosion.
CRocoDILEs.-Fewl creatures, says Sir
Samuel Baker, are SO sly and wary IA the
crocodile. watch them continually as they
attack the dense hOcks Of small birds that
throng the bushes ut the waters edge,
These birdkare perfectly aware of the dan
ger, and they fly from the attack if possible.
The crocodile then quietly and innocently
lies upon the surtace, as though it appeared
quite by an accident; sit thus attracts the
attention OF the birds, and>it slowly sails
away a considerable distance, exposed to
their view. The Birds thus beeuiled NV
their deceiver, believe that the danger is re-
moved, and they again flock to their bush,
and once more dip their thirsty beaks into
III shaking their thirst that they did not OBJ
serve that their enemy was no longer on
the surface. A sudden splash, followed by
huge pair OF jaws beneath the bush that
engulfs some dozens of victims, is the sig
nal OF the crocodile's return, who has thus
hos or
water to his victims. l have observed the
crocodile repeat this maneuver constantly;
they deceive by n feigned retreat, and then
attack from below.
AFFECTION OF A DoG.-We have fire.
Iuently heard of one species of the feathery
tribe exercising maternal care over mem
bcrs of an entirely different family, and the
instances have been regarded as yery re-
markable. The idea of dog voluntarily
assuming the protectorship of Il brood of
chickens, and interesting himself in reliev-
ing their necessities, would he deemed pre-
posterous, although the sagacity of the can
me race has more than once astOnished man.
We have before curious evidence of the
affection OF IL dog manifested toward large
brood of bantam and guinea chickens Mt
Egg Harbor City, New Jersey. The old hen
suddenly died, leaving the brood without
any means OF subsistence or shelter. As the
tender chickens were wandering about the
harn-yard in search of food, they came upon
IL valuable dog that was in the habit of
sleeping near the roost in daytime. One by |
one they nestled around him, and hy the |
warmth of his body We're kept alive. On
awakening, the dog seemed to appreciate |
the responsibilities that had developed upon |
him, and curled himself in II manner that |
would afford the greatest amount of COM
fort to the mOtherless chickens. The guar
dian has continued to manifest the utmost
interest for his charge, scratching the gravel |
and sand for them, watching them faithfully
during the. day, and sleeping with them in
their roost at night.
The MOUNTAINS IN THE MooN.-It is an
ascertained fact that there are three classes
OF lunar mountains. The first consists of
isolated, separate, distinct mountains of a
very curlons character. The distinguishing
characteristic OF these mountains is this
they start up from plain quite suddenly.
On the earth it is well-known that noun
t;lins generally go in ranges of groups; but
we find these isolated lunar mountains
standing up entirely apart, never. having
been connected with any range. The one
named Pico is nine thousand feet high.
This mountain has the form of an immense
sugar-lOaf; and if our readers can imagine a
fairly proportional sugar-loaf, nine thou
sand feet in height, and themselves situated
above it, as 20 be able to look down upon
its apex, they will have an approximateidea
OF the appearance OF PicO. There are many
other mountains of II similar description I.
scattered over the moons surface and these
mountains not only stand apart from each
other, but, what is still more remarkable,
the plains on which they stand are but
slightly disturbed How singular, then, the =
influence that shot the mountain up nine
thousand feet, and yet scarcely disturbed
the plain in the immediate neighborhood.
The second class or lunar elevations con-
slsts OF mountain ranges. Now, this is the :
principal feature of the mountains on earth.
This phenomenon is also found in the moon,
but there it is the exception only two prin-
clpal ranges are found, and these appear to
have been originally one range. One is
that, Just as the line of isbt is nassing
through the moon, you will think it is, gem 4