New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-04-26

high-tde, of scattered tips OF the lower orders OF
marine plants projecting above the water ike
blades Of grass i'm flooded meadow-and. These be-
long. for the most part to the RhizophoreB. more
particularly the genera Rhizophora Ksndella Brlg,
nera and Cerops, 40 remarkable for their form and
mode of growth Their favorite habitat is marshy
shore free from surf and not flooded ut lnRh-tlde.
They are shrubs rather than trees from . to y
feet high The seed terminates while attached 10
tho branch and only separates when the rootlets
have penetrated the smy soil, and the young plant
has strength enough TO withstand the action OF the
sea. The stock does not enter the GARTH but rather
rests upon mass Of roots spreading ont rs they APP
proach the ground and with their ends fixed IN IT.
Daring hood-tide the tips OF the plants only may be
visible but Che retiring lido displays me stems anu
crustaceans and fish left in the slime upon them;
This accumulation becomes higher and tnner, ana
finally as coastland, is better adapted to resist the
action of the than if the plants had Tooted. IN
the soil With the RhzophoreR are found species
Of similar families; for example: OF AegceT'is' Cll,
matandra and Avicennia. As the sea rcceees, anu
these plants ale no longer m0istened even at mgn
tide, they die out and are succeeded by Others OF
different mode of growth.
PREVENTING ExpIosrvENEss OF PETROLEUM.
The great extent to which various mineral oils are
used for purposes of illumination fabrication and
the consequent increase of accidents from their en-
poyment has made il very desirable to devise some
method by which they can be made more OF less
innocuous and Mr.. Jordery suggests method
which he maintains to be satisfactory, and april
cable in many cases. He claims to have ascertaineu
that q small quantity of soap-wort powder lSapoha-
rial, when mixed with petroleum, Will produce an
emulsion resembling thick glue, which flows with
great difficulty and will not penetrate through the
cracks of badly Joined vessels. Although IL may
ignite on contact with fame this Is only the case
with the lighter and more volatile oils, and the iiame
is then feeble and easily extnguished and there Is
no tendency to explode
To secure this result Mr.. Jordery takes gwen
bulk of an aqueous extract of soapwort powder and
adds it, little by little to the petroleum OIL stirring
II continually The operation is entirely similar TO
that used in producing any kind OF emulsion, OF IN
making mayonnaise for salad dressing which, as is
well Known solidifes large quantities OF olive OIL
onantity of oil equal to thirty times the vol ume OF
the extract of sOapwOrt employed can thus DC useu
for the emulsion. The product obtained is c9nslSt-
ent and stable and is not disturbed by the ordinary
motion TO which oil is subjected in transportation. or
in warehouses; and is said not TO be altered IN the
least by the amount of water combined WIN ~ III
the case of the crude oils the powder ITSELF without
the aqueous extract is sufficient TO produce the DE-
sired emulsion. Nothing is easier, according to MI
Jordery than to restore the OIL thus prepared 10 an
its limpidity and its primitive qualities FOR thls
purpose II is only necessary TO allow lew dr9ps vi
carbOlic acid TO fall upon the surface or stu larger
fion Commences Immediately; and without the ne
cessity of interfering with 1T at all the petroleum.
with all its original properties very soon
which occupies the bottom OF the vessel III is chc-
lated that at an expense of about 3 per lOO ponGs
for which sum the soap;wort can be purcnaseu, one
increase in the price of the petroleum consequent
upon the employment OF tins process VIII W almos'
inappreciable
OIL FROM BlRDs-Few persons realize the extent
| TO which the oil obtained from birds enters into
trade or are aware of the amount OF destruction OF
life caused by this business threatening the exter
| mination of some, at least of the species Among
these we may mention the Fulmar (Fulmarus 0ld-
cid,is which breeds in the Hebrides on st. kllda,
and in various other portions of the northern hem
| isphere The inhabitants of these islands, during
the season when this bird can be most readily OBJ
| tained devote much of their time to Its capture,
using the flesh as food and preparing from the TAT Its
OIL This is of bright red color. with penetrating
odor and has many of the physiological and chemi-
cal properties of cod-ver oil 1t has specific gray
ity of 0g is soluble in ether and slightly so in boil
ing alcohol but much less in cold alcohol. 1t con-
tains trace of iodine, and with sulphuric acid,
gives the color-test of codveroil. Soap made from
il has peculiar smell.
tits from the Penguins, however that the largest
simply of oil is obtained, especially in the Falkland
Islands: numerous vessels manned by from ten to f-
teen persons EACH being occupied during the season In
CAPTURING the birds and securing the oil. A single
schooner has been known to procure 25O 900 to $1,000
gallons in the course of from four to SIX weeks.
Eleven birds furnish about gallon OF OIL so that
ton of more than 275 900 birds. The oil is sent to
London, and used solely for dressing leather.
The Dusky Petrol (Pa0fnues ObscuruSl sometimes
called the Mutton Bird. from its great fairness is
also hunted in New-Zeaand, and other localities in
the Pacific on account of its fat' The oil VIII run
out of the mouth of the young BIRDS when squeezed
This oil has been used liniment for rheumatism,
and answers well for illuminating purposes IL Is
said to be very similar to goose rat 0her OF
petes aQuls) are hunted for the same purpose. The
fat of the Ostrich Suho ocameluo is likewise saved
Inv the hunters and eaten on bread, as substitute
for butter It, ALSO has local reputation as rem
edv for, rheumatism and in bilious affections. The
Cassowary is priced for the same purpose. peculiar
kind of gOatsucker found in Trinidad and IN Fene-
zuela the StedtOrins cdripensis Fat Bird derives
its generic name from its immense accumulation OF
fat under the skin, for which 1T Is hunted by the
Indians.
ACOUSTICS OF PUBLIC BUnDNGs.-The acoustics
of public buildings has been lately studied very
Systematically by 0rtb, who, however, in general
but confirms the results Of the studies of Langhaus
whose work, "Weber Theater, &c." published in
1870 seems as yet to have been but little improved
upon The Investigations that these architects have
made into the acoustic properties OF large rooms nave
led to the following conclusions:
/. The simple physical laws controlling the re-
Election and intensity of sound are alone necessary
to be considered The interference of sound-waves
is phenomenon of minor Importance.
O. The concentration of the sound of the speakers
voice, within q small space, is of less importance
than the suppression and diffusion Of disturbing
noises and reflections.
g. The chief cause of the poor acoustic properties
of large room is reflection of sounds, such that
they reach the hearers ear by certain small inter
val of time. later than the direct voice of the
speaker and affect the ear as does an echo.
4. The acoustic properties Of room can be repre-
sented graphically on a diagram, by tracing out the
reflections, and entering for each point numbers
showing the strength of the sounds both direct and
ahaI,nlx the interval of time be