The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-05-26
Scientific Points.


OBSERVATIONS in India in cases OF
sun-stroke corroborate the theory that
intensity of light in addition to heat
is concerned in producing the injurious
effect.
So great is the number of interesting
fossils on the Pampas, or vast plains OF
the South American continent that
Darwin has expressed the opinion that
any line whatever drawn across these
tracts would probably come across the
skeleton of some extinct animal.
THERE is good reason for believing
that the great African desert OF Sahara
once formed part Of the Atlantic
Ocean. Traces of ancient sea beaches
have been found near the northern
margin of the desert, and the common
cock is found living in some OF the salt
lakes.
AT the University Of Oxford, a prize
of one hundred pounds-abOut five hun
dred dollars-is offered for the best es-
say on Natural Science to refute the
materialism of the present age, or the
tendency to attribute physical effects to
physical causes, rather than to final
spiritual cause.
DEERs horns are very seldom found in
woods most lrequented by these ami
mails, and it is, therefore, difficult to ex-
plain how they disappear. A writer in
the Naturalist suggests that they are par
TALLY destroyed by rodents gnawing
them while seeking their food under the
SHOWS in early spring.
PROFESSOR AGAssIz, in letter to Sir
Philip Grey Egerton, recently published
in England, says that he is recovering
his health, and that as ne wakes anew
to feel an interest in scientific pursuits,
there is nothing for which he has a
greater longing than fossil fishes. Con-
corning these some of his most valuable
researches have been made.
ARRANGEMENTS have been made by the
German Astronomical Society to con-
struct new and complete catalogue Of
all stars of the first nine magnitudes in
| the Northern Heavens. The work is
distributed by zones of degrees, from
| 80 degrees north to degrees south, to
the officers of fourteen observatories.
Those selected in this country are at
Cambridge and Chicago.
THE large shoals of fish which in the
early part of winter appear i'll the waters
about Constantinople attract immense
! hocks of cormorants 10 the BosphOrus.
! Thousands and thousands of them were
visible at once; and it was remarked
that this great multitude Of birds, in
diving after their prey, would all disap-
pear below the surface Of the water at
one and the same instant, as if by mill
tary command
OBJECTS of wood, stoneware and por-
celain, picture frames, etc, may be
made to receive beautiful brenze by
applying by means of brush, a thin
layer of water-glass solution, and then
busting it over with a fine bronze pow
der. The excess of the powder is to
be removed by gentle tapping, and
the article, if of porcelain or stone
ware, slightly heated. The bronzing
may be polished by means of an
agate stone, thereby assuming a beauti-
| full effect.
IT is sometimes important to separate
silver and copper when the precious
metal is in proportionally small guam
tity. To do this without being at the
expense Of dissolving all the copper at
the same time. is a matter of considera-
bic economical consequence, and it is
reported that it has been done in Cali
fornia. a mixture of nitric acid, six
parts, with sulphuric acid, one part,
used at q temperature of 1902 Fair,
will dissolve the silver, while the copper
remains untouched.
A FACT interesting to msneralogists
and biologists has been greatly brought
to light at the gold field, in Australia,
namely, that the quantity of gold in
quartz does not diminish with the depth
in all cases, for, in some mines, the gold
is still abundant ut depth of six hun
dred and fifty feet, and shows no signs
of diminution. And we heard that re-
cent discoveries in Omaha, Colorado,
and other Southwestern States, lead to
the conclusion that the field Of silver
is about to increase to a surprising ex-
tent.
MEDICAL science in the northwestern
provinces of India has met with no
slight foe in the superstition of the ma
tives, who object to official vaccination
for curious reason. They believe that
Il native child is to be born whose des-
tiny it will be to drive the English out
of India, and then to conquer the world.
This child is to be distinguished from
other children by having milk instead
of blood in its veins. The natives be-
lieve that by vaccination the English
are seeking to discover the wonderful
infant, so as to imprison or Kill him.
WHEN ink blotches have been formed
over writing which it is desired to de-
cipher, we are advised to brush off the
spot carefully with a weak solution OF
oxalic acid by means of camel's hair
pencil. In this way layer after layer OF
the superintendent ink will be re-
moved, and finally, the writing itself
will, in most cases, come to view. This
is especially possible where some con.
siderable interval has elapsed between
the two applications of ink AS soon as
the letters are visible, the brushing
should be continued for a time with
clean water, so as to arrest the tendency
of tho acin col,tiop tn lya l. -,