Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1873-10-22
Scientific.

WATER GAs.-The problem of devising
a cheap method for producing hydrogen
from water has at length been solved IN
England:
The elements are water, coke, iron.
and spirit. The water is converted into
steam, which is passed through super
heater, and then through q set OF re-
torts containing coke and iron, the
charge for each retOrt being c~t- OF
coke and ! cwt. of iron. One ton OF
coke put in and worked off, plus the
steam, produces 132. 900 cubic feet OF
gas, and to effect this tons of coke are
used in the furnace. The gas thus pro-
duced is passed through condenser
and washer similar to Coffey's still,
and afterwards through a purifier con-
tanning oxide of iron. From the purifier
il is conducted to the satuator, where
it passes through rectitied petroleum
spirit, which increases the bulk OF the
gas about twenty-five per cent, so that
l32, 900 feet becomes 165, 900 feet, the
cost of which is stated to be forty cents
per thousand cubic feet In carrying
ont the manufacture of water gas at
Chichester, the gas-works have been
only partially altered, so that the manu-
facture of coal gas is still carried on /;
the public. in fact, being supplied with
a mixture of the two gases. This, 1T
would appear, is the most economical
method of applying the water gas, mas
much as the coke from the coal gas can
be utilized, and the latter gas can be
made from cheap coal, rs the former Is
folnd to be a very rich gas. Hence
gas companies will probably find the
water gas process useful as a supple
mentary manufacture while and when
ever coal is dear, for it is not intended
that il shall supersede the ordinary
manufacture. At any rate present ex-
beyond doubt, for there a brilliant
and combined gas is produced, having
an Illuminating power of 1880 candles.
The city and environs of Chichester
have for some six or seven weeks past
been lighted by mixture of the two
gases in proportions varying from one
third to two-thirds, the present proper
tions being equal parts. The stability
Of the gas has been proved by keeping
it for six months, at the end of which
time II is stated no separation or con-
densatiOn had taken place. Its travel
ing capacity is shown by the fact that
it has been delivered by itself, and is
now delivered in combination with coal
gas to lights two and a half miles from
the works, and burns freely.
LARyR.-Sir John Lubbock states
that the form of the larva of insects
depends very much on their mode of
life. Thus, he says those Larvae which
are internal parasites, whether in plants
or in animals, are vermi-form, and the
same is the case with those which live
in cells, and depend on their parents
for food. On the other hand, larve
which burrow in wood have strong jaws
and generally somewhat weak thoracic
legs more developed, but less so than
the carnivorous species.
In the case of the sitaris, which is a
parasite on the anthophora, NJ. Fabre
finds that the eggs are laid In the gal
leries of the hive and hatched in Sep
tember or October, the young Larvae
remaining in Situ without food until
April following; they then throw off
their lethargy, but instead OF devouring
the honey, as he expected, they turn
away from it and are unable to deal
with it. Proceeding to a more careful
examination of the matter, he discovered
that the males of the anthophora
emerge before the females, and as they
pass through the galleries the sitaris
larve fasten upon them. From the
male the larvae passes to the female bee
when the opportunity offers, and as the
latter lays her egg and fastens it up in
cell with honey, the sitaris Larvae at
taches itself to the egg, which floats on
the surface of the honey. Almost at
once the Larvae commences to devour
the eggraft on which it is resting. On
this it feeds for about week it then
undergoes its first metamorphosis in
the empty shell, and, making its ap-
pearance In a very different form, feeds
on the honey. This consumed, other
transformations take place, and the
perfect sitaris finally emerges in August.
-.Scribner's Magazine.