The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-02-11
cURIoUs ANp sC1ENFIF1o.


A SUICIDAL SooRPIoN. state
ment that 3 scorpion, when driven to
bay by its enemies and unable to escape,
will Kill itself by a,blow from its venom
Gus sting, has usually been regarded
as rather mythical. A well-attested in
stance, however, of the suicide of the
insect has lately been published by DR..
/ DeBellesme. The writer states that,
having captured a scorpion, he converg-
ed the rays of the sun on it's back by
means of burning glass. The insect
became furiously enraged and finally
raised its sting and struck itself, dying
within half minute afterward.
IT has recently been discovered that
the bamboo contains q dangerous poison
which the natives of Java extract in the
following manner: The cane is cut at
each joint, and in the cavity Is found a
certain quantity of small fbFous black
matter, covered with an almost imper-
ceptihle coating of tissue which contains
the poison. If swallowed, the flaments
do not pass into the stomach, but re-
main in the throat and produce violent
Inflammation and ultimately death
Experiments are to be made with va
rious kinds of bamboo, to test the ex-
istence and nature of this alleged poison
AMONG other discoveries made by the
Wheeler expedition IN Arizona was what
is believed viii prove a new variety of
deer. It is of very diminutive size,
and, with this exception, nearly re-
sembles the common white-tailed deer.
It isfound in great numbers all through
the southern portion of Arizona terrific
ry. The meat of a full-grown doe,
after being divested of the entrRils,
hide, ETC., only filled a camp-kettle,
and was very delicious eating. a fat
four-pronged buck only weighed sixty
pounds. Grasshoppers we're found with
colors brilliant and beautiful as the but
terhy, and of great size. A fully devel-
oped black grasshopper was over three
inches long.
THE SENSE OF SMELL IN INSECTS. -
Entomologists maintain that scent Is
very delicate IL most insects, and rely
on plausible coDjectUres on this subject;
but they do not as yet know what the
seat of smell in insects is. When meat
is exposed to the air, in few moments
flies make their. appearance in place
where none before had been seen. If
refuse matter or bodies of animals are
left on the ground, insects hoek to them
at once, feeding on such substances and
depOsiting their eggs in them. Scent
alone seems to guide them, exclusively
of sight even, for, if the object of their
desire is hidden, they easily manage to
find it. a curious fact as TO the scent
of insects is furnished by those kinds
that prefer decaying substances. A
beautiful arum is found in our woods,
the cuckoo-pintle, whose white flower
diffuses q disgusting odor. Now, the
inside of this flower is often filed with
flies, snails, and plRnt-lice, seeking the
pdtrid source of this fetid smell. We
may see the little creatures, in quest of
their food or of fit place to lay their
eggs, move about in all directions, and
quit most unwillingiy the flower whose
scent has misled them.
BELLADoN1SA IN TYPHOID FEVER
DR.. Pitcher, passed assistant surgeon IN
the navy, says that in from twenty-fouI
to orty-eight hours after the first ad-
ministration of belladonna IN typhoid
fever, delirium, coma, and subsultus
vanish, and are succeeded by caImness
and clearness of the intellect, by natural
sleep, and complete control of all the
voluntary muscles diarrhOea is checked,
and healthy and consistent excavations
are established.
To PRESERVE BooKs.-A few drops ol
| any k1nd OF pefIumeu OIL viii secure
books and manuscripts from the deteri
Grating effects of mould and damp. The
! species of leather SO extensively nsed
| by book binders owes its powers o
withstanding the effects of these de
structive agents to the tar of the birch
| t1ee-betolG alba. The preserving oil
books, written on papyrus and parch'
ment by means of perfumed oils was
/ known to the ancients. The Romans
made use for this purpose of the oil oi
| cedar. The best oil for that purpose
now known is the oil of yellow sandal
wood.
! AN EXPLOSIVE FIsH.-A machine oi
the torpedo class has been constructed
for the British navy which will move al
q speed of nine knots an hour for thre,
| hundred yards, and at q lower speed fol
a mile. It will maintain any direction
impressed upon it, and it can be launch
ed either from boat or an irOn-clad, by
night or by day. In short, it is q kind
of explosive fish, which, in obedience te
it's masters, will swim a mile toward
any adversary at which it may be di
rected, and viii strike dangerous, i
not fatal, blow.