Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1875-04-21
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ISmcrs AND FLowxRs.-In the ninth
Of series Of valuable papers, commu-
nicated by Hermann. Mueller. on the
fertilization Of flowers BY insects, to
Nature, he shows that butterflies effect
the ecross-fertilization of Alpine orchids.
II seems that from twelve TO fifteen per
cent. of the orchids of the lowlands are
fertilized BY Lepidoptera, while from
sixty to eighty per cent. of Alpine
orchids are fertilized by the same kind
Of insects. This corroborates, he says,
his view that the predominant fire.
quency of butterflies in the Alpine
region must have influenced the adapta-
tions of Alpine flowers.
Mueller has also shown the wonderful
modification brought about in the legs
and mouth parts Of bees by their efforts
in fertilizing flowers.
Lubbock's charming little book on
British Wild Fo,cers considered in
Relation to Insects. has Just appeared.
He says that while from time imme-
mortal We have known that flowers are
Of great importance to insects, it is
only comparatively late that We have
realized how important insects are to
flowers. 'For it is not too much to
say that il, on the one hand, flowers
are in many cases necessary to the ex-
istence of insects, insects, on the other
hand, are still more indispensable to
the very existence of flowers There
has thus been an intersction Of insects
upon flowers and of flowers upon in
scots, resulting in the gradual modifi-
cation Of both"
In another place he adopts the start
ling and probably correct view that to
bees and other insects 1--WE owe the
beauty of our gardens, the sweetness Of
our fields. 10 them flowers are in
debted for their scent and color-nay,
for their very existence, in its present
form. Not only have the present shape
and outlines, the brilliant colors, the
sweet scent, and the honey of flowers
been gradually developed through the
sects, but the very arrangement of the
colors, the circular bands and radiating
lines, the form, size, and position of
the petals, the relative situations of the
stamens and pistil, are all arranged
with reference to the visits of insects,
and in such Q manner as to insure tine
grand object which these visits are des-
tined to effect" 49,.
Lubbock has also continued his OBJ
servations on the intelligence of insects.
BE confirms his conclusions presented
last year to the Linnaan Society that
bees can distinguish colors. He then
recounts some experiments on the sense
OF smell possessed by bees, on the power
OF recognizing their own companions,
and on the different occupations of
different bees, mentioning observations
which seem to show that the bees act
as nurses during the first few weeks of
their life, and only subsequently take
to collecting honey and pollen. He
also records q number of experiments
on ants, which certainly seemed to
show that Whatever may be the case
with bees, ants do possess the power of
communicating detailed facts TO one
another.-Harper's Magazine.
The APoPLKCTIc STRoKE.-A middle
aged physician said one day to the
writer: "As was walking down the
street after dinner felt shock in the
back of my head, as if some one had
struck me I have not felt we'll since.
1 fear shall die, just as all my ances-
tors have, of paralysis. What shall l
do?" The answer was, Diminish the
tension on the bleod-vessels, and there
need be no fear of tearing them in q
weak place" Now, this expresses in
plain terms the exact cause of apoplexy
in the great majority of instances and
it is one, too, which every one has it in
his power to prevent. A blood-vessel
of the brain, has lost some of its elastic
strength food is abundant, digestion
is good blood is made in abundance,
but little is worked off by exercise the
tension on every artery and vein is at
q maximum rate the even, circuitous
flow is temporarily impeded at some
point, throwing q dangerous pressure
on another the vessel which has lost
its elastic strength gives way, blood is
poured out, Q clot is formed, which, by
its pressure on the brain, produces
complete unconsciousness. This is tine
apoplectic stroke. 1t will be perceived
that there are two leading conditions
upon which the production of the stroke
depends; lessened strength in the
vessel, and an increased tension on it.
Popular Science Mostkly.
APPLICATION OF ARMATUREs TO MAG
SKrs.-M. J. Jamin states that, if
single armature is placed At the northern
end of q magnet, il in no wise modifies
the magnetic condition Of the southern
end, which remains bare. II the effect
produced on the south side by the ap-
plication of an armature 10 considered,
it will be found that it takes magnetism
which the steel loses, but that this new
putting an armsture on the opposite
side, or by removing one. Hence, as
regards srmatures, there is an absolute
independence between the two halves of
the magnet. This independence proves
q capital fact that the application of
an armature to one of the ends of the
magnet occasions . new distribution
there, but neither decreases nor aug
ments the sum total of the magnetism
there present the steel loses what the
armsture gains. This points ont a
method Of determining the magnetism
of steel as compared with that of soft
iron.
To Cur GLASS WITH PIECE OF IRON.
Draw with q pencil on paper q pattern
to which you would have the glass CON-
form; place the pattern under the
glass, holding both together in the left
hand, for the glass must not rest on
any plain surface then take common
spike, heat the point Of it to redness,
and apply Il TO the edge of the glass.