The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-02-10
SCIRNTIFICN NOTES

The New York Evening Post prints valua-
BILE and curious scientific notes, from which
many Of these are taken:
According to Prof. Benevides, Of Lisbon,
gas obtained by distillaiion from the pine
tree is much more luminous than that from
coal, the difference, according to careful COM
parison, being as five to one. The density In
about twice as great. 1t is rich in carbon,
and requires special burners, with very
small apertures. so as to burn without smoke
or offensive smell in this respect resembling
petroleum.
The Scientific American has an engrav-
ing of the proposed Centennial tower. tits
to be one thousand feet high. To show its
comparative size there are introduced in the
background the spire of Cologne, the Pyra-
mids, 81. Peters Dome, st. Paul's, the Cap
itol at Washington, Trinity Church, Bum
ker Hill Monument and one or two other
buildings. The spire of the Cologne cathe-
6rsl, the highest existing structure, is five
hundred and enc feet high.
A slide for the microscope has recently
been invented, which allows an adjustable
current of hot or cold water to flow across
the stage OF the instrument. By the use Of
this slide, small animals, such as are some
times used for investigating the circulation
of the blood, &C.. may be kept alive for days
The anvil for the thirty-tOn steam ham,
mer to be erected at the woolwich Arsenal,
England. will weigh sixty tons; the anvil
block weighs one hundred and three tons,
and took six months to cool, Altogether
six hundred and sixty tons Of iron will be
used in the foundation work.
In boring in the southern base Of the
Carlesberg, Prussia, amber was found in
abundance in a stratam of blue earth at a
dopth of about twenty feet below the sea
level.
1t has been observed that the sturgeon and
several other kinds of the fish of tbs Caspian
sea, at she approach of cold weather seek
the deep portion of the rivers and remain
there in q state Of torpor, during which
they secretesa viscid matter which forms
a coating over the entire body, called by
the fishermen a peIiSse. During this Pc
Rod they appear to eat nothing their stom-
aches always being found entirely empty.
Taiilis says that when silk worms are fed
on vine leves the cocoons are Of magnificent
red. and if lettuce be used, they become an
emerald green. Another experimenter has
obtained silk of beautiful yellow, fine
green, and then again riolet. by feeding with
lettuce or white net.le. Tsillis remarks,
however, thai The worms must be fed on
mulberry leaves when yonng, following
with other leaves during the last twenty
days of the larvsl sage of life. X
In French industrial establishment, en-
ploying six hundred and thirty men. chiefly
vegetarians, the sick fund was constantly in
debt. The director Of the establishment took
measures for the introduction Of butchers
meat into the food of the men, and the effect
was suob that the average loss Of time per
man, on account Of illness or fatigue, was re-
duced from fifteen TO three days per annum.
Thus the animal food saved twelve days.
work a year per man.
At recen. meeting Of a scientific society
in Konigsberg, M. Kfnow described two
snail sheeIs found in pieces or amber. He
stated that such occurrences were extreme
ly rare, knowing only of three similar cases.
Among the thirteen thousand organic re-
mains Of amber in the society's collection,
there IL ne piese Of tho kind in question.