The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-01-09
SCIENTTFTC. NOTEN.

HERE 1S smell ulOuuu near O1tu
Pablo, Cal, which is nearly a mile
wide Numerous Indian skeletons, i'm
plements of stone, bones of dogs,
birds, &c, have been found in it. The
skeleton of babe, wrapped in red silk,
is one of the curiosities unearthed.
SOME curious bones have b cen found
at Bridgeport, Ct, which appear to be
the skull and upper jaw of some ex-
tiuct species of animal They were
found only four feet below the surface
The skull is large and has a hole ON
each side as large as mans fist. The
jaw contains sockets for forty-eight
teeth of enormous size. A committee
of naturaists will do the l0ost-mortena.
A PLANET BETWEEN MERCURY AND
THE SUNNI. J. r. Hind, the astrono-
mer, shows that there is a high probabil-
ity that planet circulates between
Mercury and the Sun, having a period
of revolution of about nineteen days.
Mr.. Hind suggests that, on March "a
next, the suns disk should be watched,
as a conjunction of this hypothetical
planet with the sun viii occur about 10
A. NJ. on that day.
TIE weeping willow has a romantic
history. The first scion was sent from
Smyrna IN box of figs to Alexandria
Pope General Clinton brought a shoot
from Pope's tree to America, in the time
of the Revolution, which, passing into
the hands of John Parke Custis, was
planted ON his estate in Virginia, thus
becoming the progenitor of the weep
ing willow in this country.
IT rs well known that for some time
varisus cases of poisoning from the use
of vanilla ice have been noticed and
published in Paris, Munich, Vienna and
other places. The most careful investi-
cations have failed to discover the cause.
In few cases traces of lead, iron and
tin, from the vessels used, have been
found in the ice, but as no poisoning
has ever resulted from fruit ices pre-
pared in the same vessels, it can not be
due. to that. NJ. Schroff is of the
opinion that the vanilla beans are
poisoned by the natives of South
America and Mexico, who rub them
with Acaiou oil to make them smooth
and soft. This oil is not seldom con-
taminated with a sharp substance which
cantharides. He thinks it less proba-
BILE that the injurious effects are due to
small crystals found in the outer skin
of the vanilla bean-benzoie acid.
POLAR REGIONS cold,
stormy and ice-bound, as all nature is
at the Arctic circle, there are evidences
in multiplied forms to prove that the
climate IN those inhospitable abodes OF
the white bear and walrus was once as
mild, warm and delightful as the Island
of Cuba. Vegetable productions of the
soil, so ancient we have no data to
| reckon from, are abundant. These
grew luxuriantly where is is almost i'm
possible to sustain either plants or ami
mails with all the appliances of art, and
from their structure are particularly
fitted for tropical climate This state
ment requires no proof, since the ar
chives of geology verify them by pre-
served specimens in the rocks, the land
and eaverns of the frozen North. What
forces 'produce5 the change from mild
to terrific region of storms in THEN
most fitful exhibitions Of resistless fury?
The polarity of the earth must have
been suddenly changed.
STRANGE BmDs.-Australia abounds
in strange things, and particularly in
animal form, singularly deviated from
all other types on other continents.
Among them the bird called the cipoz,
mound builder, is truly remarkable
on account OF peculiar habits and in
stincts. The male and female concu,
in the construction OF a mound Oi
leaves, grass, and materials that, IL
their decay, generate heat. They seen
to know exactly when warmth will be
evolved by the chemical disintegration
On the top they can excayate hsle
and into It an egg is dropped. Some o.
the mounds are twelve feet in ciroum
ference by three IN height. Each egg
to the number Of eight, Is artistically
lodged, and covered with loose sand
All this is done in the darkness of night
SO that no eye of an enemy may know
where the treasure is hidden. BOti
parents then pursue an earnest plan fol
securing the propagation of a new
generation with a degree of precision
skill and apparent knowledge of certain
natural laws that imply n reasoning
faculty. Thus the eggs arc incumbent
without the detention of the fnothei
bird on the nest in q climate that would
be fatal to her In confinement.