Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-07-10
Scientific. Notes.

guests.
Scientific Notes.
NJ. FAYE, the author of the cyclo,,ic
theory of sun-spOts, has read o second
paper on the subject before the Acade-
my Of Sciences, France, in which he
replies to the structures of NJ. Vicaire.
lately quoted in these columns. Al.
Faye quotes the observation of Respiqhi
to show that the coverings of the solar
atmosphere implied in his theory are
matters of fact.
New ZEALAND sends to the Vienna
Exhibition, among other things, such
as robes of flax and Kaka feathers, q
small block of sandstone showing a
singular depression which might
escape the notice of the general oh.
server, but which is really the foot
print of the moa, an enormous bird.
which, like the dinoruis, has seldom
been seen by man. 1t is, in fact, a
relic OF past geological age, but of an
age SO recent as to have left not only
footprints, but also eggs and bones.
Professor Hochstetter, the famous
Austrian Geologist, is now engaged in
articulating series of these bones, and
restoring the etligy OF the moa to the
observation Of anatomical students.
SOME important experiments as to
the effects of the beverages popularity
known as bitters have recently been
described by DR.. Decaisne, of Paris.
He finds that while the composition of
these beverages is not uniform, they
generally contain either vermouth or
absinthe in combination with the in
feriOr qualities of alcohol. Concerning
the effect OF the essential oil of alb
sinthe on organism, he finds that,
quantity for quantity, a few drops Of
It dropped into vessel of water con-
tanning fishes destroy life sooner than
plussic acid. He adduces the evil
dence of experiments to show that YER
mouth and absinthe produce epilepsy
in animals, and believes that epileptic
fits often supervene from excessive
drinking of bitters.
The last number of the Revue
Scientifiques (Paris) contains the first
complete description Of the new metal
known as indium, discovered by DR..
Red. Like thallium, it was first re.
vealed by it's spectrum, which consists
of two bright indigo bands, the more
brilliant of tho two being little more
reirangiblc than that of s:rotium. the
other a trile less so than that of
potassium. It is found in one or two
varieties of wolfram, and in zinc
and it's ore, in exceedingly small
quantities-the zinc of Freiberp.
Germany, in which it was first
observed, containing not more
than one part in two thou
sand. When zinc is dissolved in
sulphuric acid, the new metal remains
il, the spongy resitluum. To obtain it,
dissolve this residuum in nitric acid,
and treat it with ammonia and car
Donate Of barytes, when the by drate of
indium is precipatated. This indium-
sponge may then be melted with cyan
ide OF potassium, resultingin whitish
metal, which after while assumes the
tint of bismuth, and gradually loses it's
color 20 as to represent lead. 1t has a
density of L. melts at ia Centigrale.
burns at red heat, and emits HYDRO
gen when dissolved in sulphur,c acid.
SOME account was given in last
weeks scientific notes of the birth of
certain flies, among them tho epheme-
rid;c, dragon-Ay, and ant-lion, from
their respective Larvae. In the Amer
lean Naturalist, Professor Lockwood
supplements the observations Of Sir
John Lubbock with an account of the
reproductive process of the surco2,hu-
gtt ctt,,.osio, kind of tiesh-fy, which
brings forth living larvae, instead of
laying eggs. Thirteen days are re.
quircu to perfect the series OF m ctamor-
phoscs. Putting living grub in IS
per cent. alcohol, he foundi it alive after
an emcrsion Of one hundred
and thirty-four minutes. A larva,
seven days old, lived twcnty-seven
minutes in turpentine; another of the
same age, seventy minutes in essence
OF peppermint; a third, tifty.threc
minutes in Fowler's solution of arsenic.
From these facts, argues DR.. Lock.
wood, it appears to DC not only useless
but cruel to deluge horses with violent
indictments for the bots, tho disorder
thus known being due to presence of
the larvae of the botfy clinging to the
interior membranes hy means of it's
powerful monthhooks-for the tenacity
with which larval life rosists irritant
poiS"ns is one of it's most remarkable
qualities.
ONE OF the signs of q return to first |
principles i'll science, as advocated by |
Professor Draper and by Won Baer, the |
veteran German biologist, is the dis !
Scctlhg criticism to which evolution |
and Darwinlsm have recently been
subjected. For illustration, DIR. Rad
cliflc, III his recent lecture before the
Royal College of Physicians, London,
thus summary Gisposcs of Darwin's
pigeon arguments:
g The pigeon, by developing under
cultivation into what may l." considered
as improved varieties of iscon, may
ut first seem to be the subject of evo-
lnt'on but the variations produced in
this way arc never more than those
MINOR notifications which make up
lite differences called varieties, never
80 great as to constitute another spe-
lies of bird. Moreover, only let the
thus produced bc let alone for
. few generations, and tho inevitable
result IS II return to the original form
II the common pigeon, if not to That of
the wild, blue Uck-pigeon. The his
cory c"ntralicts the notion of cvolu.
5ion rather than confirms it. And 80
With the dog or any other animal which
may l." modified rs the pigeon is mod
fled the modification produced is
Wvcr beyond That Of mere variety,
never that Of Il now species and let
he constituting influences which
brought it ai'out come to an end, and,
Us with the pigeon, it is not long before
no original wild form has again crop
r,l ont"
AN freshman went to Bangor, and
purchased y horse for two dollars and
| half. When he had dragged him
rome, "ighhor said: "Arrah, now,
',t why didn't ,"u give another half
lOilar and get good one ~ '!