The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-03
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

, rience in the intensely dry climate
Central Asia as tending to show tn,
the guiding power must lie in the eye
In the clear atmosphere, almost fire
from moisture, which there prevail
the process of animal decomposition
exceedingly slow and he has observe
that game when covered over by bushe
will remain for long time untouche
by birds of prey, while on broad plain
destitute of vegetation the vulture
will swoop down on an animal almos
before it is dead. Mr.. Dixie states ais
that the vultures are invariably tn
first species of bird to appear about tn
dead creature; their presence aroun
the prey seems to attract the condor
and the bear-coots, on the arrival o
which the vultures retire for the tim
being. Mr.. Dixie is the first traveller
we believe, who has noticed the exist
ence of the largest of flying birds, tn
condor, in Central Asia.
A VERY simple thermometer has beer
suggested by A. Jaksch, of Bohemia
after the following plan: An ounce bot
| tie is to be two thirds filed with glyc
crime of a0y desired color, and placed
in freezing mixture of sal ammonia
saltpeter, and water SO as to cool the
liquid to thirty-two degrees Fahrenheit
A glass tube, twelve to fifteen inches
long, is passed through a good fitting
cork, so as to dip nearly an inch into
the bottle and rendered air-tight with
sealing wax or a cement of varnish and
chalk, and the thermometer is ther
ready to be graduated. On inserting
the cork the liquid rises in the tube 9
few inches. The bottle is placed il
melting ice, and the level of the liquid
marked thirty-two degrees, if the scale
is to be Fahrenheit's. 1t is next placed
in warm water, say 1872 degrees, and
this point marked. The space between
these points is divided into 100 equal
parts, and this division carried down to
the Fahrenheit zero, and upward to the
tubes.
RECENTLY the bones of q mastodon
were discovered on the farm of Mr..
Isaac Wardell, in Camboro, near Dun
vile, Canada. The parts shown are an
immense tusk or horn, weighing more
than two hundred pounds, and part
of tusk. weighing about seventy-ivs
pounds. There are also. in perfect
state Of preservation, a short rib, five
feet long, several vertebre, parts of u
skull, and two pieces of the under jaw.
The animal had two teeth on each side
of the jaw, which weighed five and one
half pounds. Practical anatomists who
have seen it say that it must have
weighed over one hundred tons, and
stood eighteen to twenty feet high.
URAsTERAL1A sELwYNII appears to be
the first fossil etar-fish found in Au-
stralia. These star-fishes, like many
other Australian fossils, are almost
identical with British types. There is
no more remarkable fact in the history
and distribution of life than the affinity
that seems to exist between the forms
of life over two areas so old and SO
vastly removed as that OF Britain and
Australia, antipodal to each other;
universally might slmost be applied
through Homotaxis &c the geographical
distribution of the several formations
which comprise the periods even strait
graphically and lithologically as well
as the existence in common of numer-
GUS genera, and with many representa-
tive and some even identical species
between the two countries.
AUSTRALIA seems to be even more
fatal to explorers than Africa. It has
been ascertained that Hume, who, with
two others, went to the rescue of Clas-
san, a supposed survivor of the LEIGH
ardt exploring expedition, has persisted
from lack of water only fifty miles from
the Wilson river. Another of the party
is supposed to be dead, but the third
succeeded in reaching the river.
PROFESSOR Dove has published an
article on cool Mays after mild January,
in which he confirms the popular i'm
preston that Q mild winter is followed
by a cool spring. The rule is not gen.
eral, however, for he finds that mild
January is followed by a mild May in
the interior of continents, by a cool
May in the north and east coasts, and
by a miIder May than usual on the At
lantic cost, in Europe.
A BEAUTIFUL and easily produced ex-
of crystal formation may be
seen under the microscope, as follows:
Upon slip of glass place drop of
liquid chloride of gold, or nitrate of
silver, with a particle OF zinc in the
gold and copper in the silver. A growth
Of exquisite gold or silver ferns will
spring up under the observers delighted
aye.
The objection which many persons |
1rge against using tincture of iodine on |
;he skin Is. that the stain is ineradica.
Die, except after considerable time. |
. If few drops of carbolic acid be |
.dded to the tincture," says a medical
,ver, the tincture it-ef is more effica-
,ious."
DEL GRECO recommends, in cases of
auterization-after applying nitrate of
liver in the usual manner-the passage
# a small cylinder or pencil of polished
inc several times over the surface al
eady whiteued by the caustic. The
,arts Immediately blacken, and the
action becomes deeper.
As an illustration of the speed at
,hich the electric current travels, a
nessage sent from the observatory of
Harvard college direct to San Francisco
nd back by way of Canada, over thir-
cen railways, occupied only two-thirds
{ q second.
ZENaER has succeeded in obtaining
proofs of the sun and
loon no less than nine feet two inches
1 diameter. He used a concave mir
Or instead of the ordinary object glass.
AT the iron works belonging to Sir J.
;rowne 4 Co., at Sheffield, England,
ON nails are now cut by means of q |
ircular, toothless disc of iron, which
, driven at the rate of from 1000 to
900 revolutions per minute.
A NEW proof of the persistent vitality
( seeds is given by the Towering of
ome that were dug up from the old
lag heaps of Laurium in Greece, and
nat must be two thousand years old.
hey belong to the genus g'aucin,na,
ut are of an instinct species.
The great Lick telescope, which Pro-
,ssor Newcomh is now negotiating for
/ Europe, is to have diameter of
lree feet if 1t is possible to make a
erfect lens of that size.
A FLORAL OFFERER.-A Liverpool
aper says that an action involving the
uestion of the right (not to hiss butt
, throw bouquets to actresses, is about
, be brought against the manager of a
,eatre there. An elderly gentleman