The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-11-01
An1s, scrxxczs. Erc.

grateful to an unconscious and automatic
benefactor, we must thank the sun that the
sea remains fluid that the arr as gaseous !;
that the waters are raised as clouds and
CONDENSED again. as rain that We have such
Q pleasing vicissitude of the seasons, and
that we have q most exact thermometer in
the heavens for the measurement or our
time. And it is the sums force working
within blves which causes all our vital
| activity. He plants the forest, raises the
| tree, and hews it down again. All.muscu-
| lar and mechanical forces are derived from
the solar heat-ore but notifications of it.
ts The sun comes to us as heat, and quits us
as heat and between his entrance and de-
appear. They are all specisl forms of solar
tpOwer-the molds in which the strength is
temporarily poured in passing from it's
source to iafinitnde."
| WALKING FIsHEs.-Dr. Short is expect
ed shortly to arrive here from India, bring
| ing with him about q dozen and a-half of
| the walking fishes of India, Murru! and
KoraUG, many of them intended as pres
emit to the Geological Society's Gardens from
DR.. Day. The largest species, known as
ephioceph atws st,iatus, grow to upwards OF
since feet ID length, and, If they succeed in
England, will make capital addition to
Hour lakes and canals. The smaller variety,
opbiocephalsx gachaa, will perhaps be more
| interesting than useful, as they only grow
| to about one foot in length. Pains have
been taken to accustom them by degrees to
confinements before shipping them in tin
boxes. DR.. Davis is said to have come to
the conclusion that they breathe air direct
from the atmosphere, as well as AIR in solu-
| ton in the water in which they live.-Lon-
don paper, )
LONG AND SHORT DAYs-The further
any country lies Nortli, the longer are it's
days in summer, and the shorter in winter.
At Berlin and London, the longest day has
sixteen hours and half; at Stockholm it
has eighteen and a half hours; ut Hamburg
seventeen hours, and the shortest seven at
st. Petersburg the longest day has nineteen,
and the shortest five hours; at TOrnea, in
Finland, the longest day has twenty one
honrs and a half, and the shortest two hours
and half; at Wanherhus, In Norway. the
day lasts from the 21st of May to the 22d of
July and at Spitzbergen the longest day
is three months and half
THE BRAIN IN SLEEP.-It was an old err
ror among psychologists that there was
more blood passing through the brain, orat
least as much, during sleep as in wakeful-
ness ; but this was disproved by Biumen-
back, and still more convincingiy by Don
ders, who made a cruel though striking ex-
pertinent on the subject. He cut away part
of the skull of an animal, and pemented in
in its place piece of glass, through which
he could observe the brain in it's different
states. In the waking state the brain lis
larger than it is during sleep, while in the
latter condition it becomes pale and blood
less. If the animal be disturbed by dreams
flush suffuses part of the brain and after
complete wakefulness. the cerebral sub
| stance becomes tiDged with blood, the
whole surface being now bright red, while
vessels, invisible during sleep, are filled
with blood coursing rapidly through them.
The observations made show that there is
less arterial blood coursing through the
brain during sleep, and that consequently
the conditions of waste are absent, while
there is still sufficient left to repair the mat
| ter which has been wasted.
THE LUXURY OF OLD ROME.-If anything
| more were wanted to give us an idea of Re-
man magnificence, We would turn our eyes
from public mon uments, demoPali1ing
games, and grand professions we would
| forget the statues in brass and marble,
which outnumbered the living inhabitants,
have been recovered ahd still enbellisa
Italy, and would descend into the lower
sphere of materiaI life-to those things
which attest luxury aud taste-to orna-
ments, dresses, sumptuoua living and rich
furniture. Tho art Of working metals and
cutting precious stones surpassed any thin &
known<at the present day. In the decora-
tom of houses, in social entertainments, in
| cookery, the Romans were narkable. The
}Iaossics, signet rings, canoes, bracelets,
bronzes, chains, vases, couches, banqueting
tables, lamps, chariots, coiored glass, gid
| ings, mirrere, mattresses, cosmetics, per-
fumes, hair eyes, silk robes, potteriea, all
attest great elegance and beauty. The
tables of thuga root and Delian bronze were
as expensive a. the sideboards Of Spanish
walnut, 80 much admired in the great e1hi-
bition ct London. Wood and ivory were
carved rs exquisitely ~ in Japan and China,
Mirrors were made Of polished silver. Glass
cutters could initiate the colOrs Of precious
stones 60 well that the Portland vase, from
the tomb Of Alexander Severus, was long
considered as q genuine sardonix. Brass
could be hardened 30 a. to cut stone. The
palace of Nero glittered with gold and jew
els. Perfumes and flowers were showered
from ivory ceilings. The halls of Heliogab-
illus were hung with cloth of gold, enriched
with jewels. His beds were silver, and his
tables of gold. TiheriuR gave q million OF