New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-01
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

FIRRrN OF BLooD.-MessTs. Bechamp anu
Estor maintain that socacd hbrin OF blood Is only
kind Of membrane formed by the microzymas associated
with substance secreted by Them by means OF Ing ANU
BeUOd substance or the DlOOu'
TAILS OF CoMETs.-Prof. Tyndal, in lecture
before the Cambridge Philosophical Society," eApreSscu
the opinion that the tails Of comets, which are always
turned from the sun, produced much IN the same
way as symmetrical clouds produced by Napois III
tubes nv the action of light The heat is intercepted ny
the boiv of be comet and tail is produced by th6 u
post OF vapors on tho side Opposite 10 'ne S'
Tapors become luminous by reflected hghI o.,
THE CHAssEPOT RIFLE IMPRoYED.-It Is saiu
that the French Government are a0out applying an
American invention TO the Chassepot by when IL VIII
become a very formidable breech-oading weapon 10y
slmpy turning button the converted Cnaselot i've
io,dipg the magazine Tie act OF drawing the 0olt 10
omen The breech throws out the old case tne iIcSn
pn6es the cartridge into its chamber The cost OF tue
alteration Is said 10 be very small
New MODE OF PRODUCING OXYGEN.-Messrs'
NontmagnOn and Delare produce oxygen from .i'e
atmosphere by Of charcoal and water or Dy Same
solutions They state that 100 ltres OF ireSn enaoi
when exposed to atmospheric air. will absorb S2o es y
oxygen aud only 7O5 litres Of nitrogen II the chaco
40 saturated with gas is then saturated WIFE wafer '
will be expelled tres Of nitrogen and only $50 es Of
nitrogen are left I'm the charcoal These gases lney ~
by Of an airpump when the rc 6e air
again ready to absorb oxygen ana nitrogen ron S
The oxygen thus obtained is pure enough i0l an 6s,
not yet been practically determined
PRESERVATION OF MARINE ANIMALs.-Mr.
T. Verrin AYERS in The american Naturalist that he has
successfully used glycerne for preserving marine
animals by which they retain their natural coors nearly
as brilliant as in life The only precauton necessary Is
TO use very heavy gycerne aud to keep the strength
by transferring the specimens 10 new gyeerne as soon
rs they have veB out enough 10 weaken the hst
repeating the transfer two or three times according TO
number Of the specimens until all the water
has been removed The old gyeeI1ne can DC used again
espeeally the Crustacea we're killed by immersng them
for few minutes strong alcohol, which aids greatly
m che extraction Of water but usually turns the decae
Kinds to an Opaque dull white color but this opacity dis
appears when they put in gyeerlne ana the Teal
Instantly IN alcohol and specimens of this class should be
put at once into glyceIine.
CLIMATIC CHANGES PRODUCED By TREES
The British Medical Journal says the ground on which
stands Ismaila town Of 6OOO inhabitants, was but
few years since dry sandy desert which rain was
never known to fall. All is now transformed The old
urled-up Of Lake Tmsah has been again filed with
water from the Nile by fresh-water canal Trees,
shrubs and plants Of all descriptions crow rapidly where
ever the soil irrigated and the arthclal oasis Wlues
fast Accompanying this extraordinary transformation
OF the aspect OF the place there has Deen &
change In the climate Al the piesoho Jn be
during eight months IN the year. Is piODaOy me neaitn
So sPT5 nns 10 septem6eT Is 90 F. the four following
months TAO and the four Winter months 49, Untu tWt
M in Anil last there were actually fourteen days on
which rain fell and lately there fell tremendous shower
"A
previously witnessed. Rain ceases to fan on country
deprived Of its forests, only falls IN violent storms
Here lain returning to the desert On restoring the
trees.
TEMPERATURE OF THE SEA AT GREAT
DEPTHs-Dr Carpenter lately stated at the Royal Micro
aeopca Society Of London that the expedition fitted out
under the auspices OF the Royal Society for deepsea
dredging between Cape Ross, Scotland, and the Farce
Islands, endeavOred to ascertain the temperature OF
the great depths. For this purpose they sunk
three thermometers each trial. and account Of the
uncertainty OF registering minimum thermometers, no
observation in which az least two OF them did not agee
Was relied upon. They much astOnished 10 hud, IN
pne Of observations, that at depth OF 500 athoms
the temperature Of the only 80 deg fahr Tor
other observers, Sir John Herschel and Dr. Wach had
given 80 deg. Fair. the lowest deep-sea
Temperature This cold temperature did not
Extend beyond limited area for each side OF it, and
also further westward, the temperature was much
higher; and they supposed to be due to cold current
Om the north meeting here with the Gulf StreaH which
latter then passes foked direction each side Of The
bold area. The range Of the surface temperature was
rom 500 to so Fair generag about 52o At the depth
Of feet the dredge brought varcs Of crustacea
BpOnges rhzOpOds &C. and the scientists Of the eXped
hOH have expressed the opinion that, given warm tenn
persure and gradual subsistence. animal life may eX.
st al any DEPTH