River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-01-13
Scientific.

In SOME recent experiments on the
Droera it was found that the leaves
could reach around and catch q fy
anywhere within half an inch of the
plant. The flies have to be tied, as it
takes the leaves about an hour to get
round.
A MILL has been recently started in
England in which -four is made by
crushing the grain by small trip
hammers instead of grinding it, 1t is
claimed that pounding mill, cost
ing $1,000, will produce as much flour
IN the same time as a grinding mill
worth $4,000.
PROFESSOR LIE CoNTE, in the Amer.
lean Naturalist, in his paper on eco
nomlc entomology, gives an instance in
which all the caterpillars in nine-acre
piece of woods were destroyed by a
disease which had been communicated
to them by sick silkworm. The same
principle might be used in destroying
the cotton worm and others of like ma.
ture
NATURE, in paper on the Frog,
says that Batrachians are in the main
aquatic animals, inasmuch as the
greater number, even when adult fire.
quent, at least at intervals, ponds and
streams, or delight in humid localities.
Nevertheless, in spite of this predomi-
mating aquatic habit, all Batrachians,
both living and fossil, appear to in
habit, and to have inhabited, fresh
water only. No Batrachian of any
period is yet known to have been
marine. This is the more remarkable
since the most nearly allied class, that
OF fishes, Is much more rich in salt
water than in fresh water forms while
even existing reptilia have Tin the true
sea.snakes and in chelonians) repre-
sentatives which inhabit the open
ocean, while in the secondary geologic
al period marine reptiles (ichthyoSdltri
and ptcstcsauri) abounded.
Persons believing in total abstinence
Will hereafter have TO give up eating
fresh bread. Mr.. Bolas, of London,
has found that the alcohol formed IN
the primary fermentation OF bread was
not all expelled during the process of
baking. He shows that when about
two ounces of ordinary bread IS mixed
with water and distilled, and the dis.
tillate is afterwards purified, a percep-
tlble quantity of alcohol may be oh.
tanned. If made cumulative, analyses
OF six samples OF fresh bread, obtained
IN as many shops in London, which
gave OF alcohol an average of 0.314 per
cent. So that when man has eaten
100 pounds of fresh bread, he has con-
sumed with it five ounces Of pure alco-
hol. An ordinary loaf of bread would
contain about as much alcohol as a
| light glass of beer.
HENRY EDwARDs, in the American
Naturalist, gives an interesting account
of the honey making ant of New Mex
leo. Itappears that the communities
consist OF three distinct kinds of ants
the guards, the nurses or feeders,
and the honey.makers. The site of 4
nest is usually in sandy soil, and from
four to five feet square. The surface
of the ground is no disturbed, and if
1T were not for the presence of the ants
the position of the nest would not be
suspected The black workers sur
round tho nest as guards or sentinels,
and are always in state of
great activity. They form two lines
of defense, moving different ways,
their march always being along three
sides of n square, one column moving
from the southeast TO the southwest
corner OF the Notification, while the
other proceeds in the opposite direc-
ton. In most of the nests examined
the eastern, western and northern
sides we're guarded, while the southern
side was left undefended. IL any
enemy approached the line he was az
once ferociously attacked. A portion
OF the soldiers brought flowers and
aromatic leaves and deposited them in
the centre of the square, whence they
were taken by the nurses and carried
into the nest. The honey-makers
never leave their cells, their abdomen
being too much swollen by the honey
they contain. 1t is supposed, but has
not been proved, that all ants use this
Ia