New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-16

ing success, the Applications pelnA potu Ga
teinally and Internally.
TIE INTERNATIONAL METRIC COMNIssIoN.-The
permanent Committee Of the International Metric
Commission has just concluded series of meetings
at Paris they Gnd that the labors in connection
with the preparation of the standard meters of
platinum-ridiun have been very satisfactorily pcr-
formed by the Subcommittee, Progress has also
been made in the construction Of series OF new
standard thermometers, TO be used for determining
the tempera .ure of the standard meters when coul
parsons are being made. The construction OF tn9
now international kilogrammes Will be deferred
until the completion Of the now meters; meauW Whine,
several balances of the greatest precision have been
obtained for future use As an auxiliary piece OF
apparatus, the standard barometer constructed by
Fasrc will be used by means OF who tie Amos
phcrc pressure be determined TO the S,5OOth part
of an inch.
BnIGuT DEEpBLUE on WOOL The following is
said to yield a toleraby fast color, Of deslra5ls
luster, similar to that of dark vat-bluo The wool,
or cloth, il prepared by boiling for an hour in hot
lettle with q pounds Of alum, Of pound OF
cbrornate OF potash II pounds of suphurc acid, and
. ounces of tin-salt in solution. for 40 pounds of
aterial Ii is then opened out and well cooled and
allowed to lie for ~ hours The day after, pounds
Of logwood are boiled in fresh bath, and then
ounces of anine violet the blush soluble in water
are added, and as as it is dissolved, another
half pound of suphurc acid. The prepared articles,
after being washed rinsed are placed in the bath
of 100 and after half IN hOur, are worked at boil
for an hour. More aniline violet affords stronger
blue. more logwood deeper blue The color can
easily DO cleaned in cold wlter
PROF. ALFRED NEWTON on THE MIGRATION OF
BnsDs.-The desire to refute what he considers
very absurd theory in Tho London Times as to the
migration Of BIRDS has induced Prof. Alfred New
ton the wellknown ornithologist, to address to Ma
ture a communication on the subject OF the migra-
ton of birds. He stigmatizes as absurd tho idea,
advanced by the writer in question, that birds con-
eregating on the coast, are seized with o sudden
mania to ly upward. caused, in his opinion by some
atmospheric change conciding with the warm south
wind moving in high stratum. into which tho
birds soar with involuntary motion of their wings
This motiou involuntary like that of the heart is
continued for many hours and the birds fly swiftly
along until the paroxysm passes off, when they at
once begin to descend many of the feeble drop
ping into the 1t ia the easy to agree with
Prof Newton in his criticism on this theory. the
phenomena Of migration in North America show not
paroxysmal impulse, but . long-continued move
ment which lasts for weeks aud even months. dur
ing which the birds make progress in definite lines
usually proceeding in tho Autumn to we'll
established wintering grounds. from which
they return IN the Spring to almost the pre-
else spot whence they OF first started.
In opposing the hypothesis of The Times cor
respondent Prot Newton at the same time confesses
his ignorance in regard to the phenomenon and re-
marks that the attention Of observers should be d.
| rected to the following points:
First the original cause causes OF migration Ia some
he thinks that scarcity Of food Is sufficient and
most obvious As food grows scarce toward the
end OF Summer In the most northern limits OF heranges
Species the individuals affected thereby seek II In
other countries In doing this crowd out other
divduas and these IN turn. press still another
zone resulting in stampede OF the birds nhabitlng q
vast exeut OF country He, however does not nd that
the movement 10 to oe explained by such ny
pohess since thore Is always abundance OF food in
the Winter quarters OF the migrants who leave for tho
North, where tho ground may be stiil
| to great Inconvenience In their search TOR
| food. Next, the mode or modes OF migration:
not only whether different birds migrate In the
manner, but whether tho species maintain the
| came pecularites throughout The great question,
however, how birds fnd their way back to old
homes, returning after Journey OF thousands of miles
to the very spot where they were hatched or where
they had pested the previous season. and arriving
given pointon almost the day In many successive
years
hypothesis presented some years ago by
Middendorf, eminent Russian naturalist who
believed that he had found in the magnetic cur
rents circulating between the north and south poles
of the EARTH the OF the phenomena in ques-
Hor. This answers very well for the species Which
actually make use OF movement in tive dirsetloa
referred TO, but fails to explain the where,
In many countries, such migration is more nearly
esst md Wsee than north and south.