The Osceola times., 1877-11-10
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

Bellamy that zinc is constantly present
in appteciable quantities in the liver ol
the human subject and of many lower
animals. II also occurs in hen's-eegs, IN
wheat, barley, and other grains. These
facts arc of interest for forensic med
icine.
LAND that has been flooded by the sea
is generally barren for years afterward
According TO German chemist the cause
of this barrenness is the presence OF an
excess OF chlorine salts such land has a
tendency to remain damp, and there IL a
form, ton of ferrous sulphate, which 4
highly injurious to plants. The land
should be drained as quickly as possible,
sown with grass or clover, and allowed to
rest.
The belief that fish is especially
adapted TO feed the brain, and that fish.
eaters are therefore more intellectual
than the average, does not find much
favor with DR.. Beard. He says that this
"delnsion is 30 utterly opposed to chem
istry, to physiology, TO history, and To
common observation, that it is very
naturally almost universally accepted by
the American people. 1t was started" "
he adds, "by the late Prof. Agassiz, who
impulsively, and without previous con-
sideration, apparently, as was his wont at
times made statement to that efiec.
before a committee on fisheries Of the
Massachusetts, legislature. The state.
ment was 30 novel, 80 onc-sided, and sc
untrue, that it spread like the b!ue-glass
delusion, and has become the accepted
creed OF the nation"
On the question whether birds hiber.
nate, we have received from Mr.. l.. s.
Abbott, of Reading, Michigan, COM
munication in which he states an obser-
walton made by himself, which goes to
show that at least some birds do hiber.
nate. While living Ia the bacs woods Of
Ohio, our correspondent often noticed
the swallows toward evening circling
around the top of sycamore-tree, in the
hollow of which they would soon disap-
pear. To determine whether the birds
remained within the tree during the win.
ter. Mr.. Abbott had the tree cut down
some time alter the beginning OF the cold
season. The swallows were found within,
clinging 10 the shell of the tree, stiff,
motionless, and 10 all appearance in a
state of suspended animation. The tree
was hollow from the ground up, and the
swallows were attached 70 the shell along
It's whole length.
A SINGULAR instance of hereditary il
recorded in a note from Nj. Martinez to
the Paris academy Of sciences. In 1871
several chickens on a farm held by the
author were affected with polydactylis
having supernumery claw. This had
been transmitted to them by FIVE
clawed cock raised on the same farm a
year or two before. The type was propa-
gated rapidly until in 1873 an epidemic
ravaged the poultry.yard. AT present,
without any selection, this variety is
worry numerous; it has been propagated
among neighbOring farms throughout
the exchange of eggs by farmers if moth.
ing interrupts its progressive increase, it
promises ere long to be predominant.
The popularity was not so perfect at first
as it is now; the modification has been
going on progressively.
SIMULTANEOUS CONTRAST OF CoLoRs.
An incident in the lie of Henry ".
of France finds its explanation in an ex-
pertinent made by Coevreul. While yet
prince of Navarro, Henry ". was play.
ing dice with two courtiers few days
before the massacre of St. bartholomew s.
day. They saw, or thought they saw,
on the dice spots of blood and the party
broke up in alarm. The phenomenon is
explained by Chevreul by the law Of
simultaneous contrast of colors, and he
illustrates this by experiment as follows:
Seat yourself in n room NO as to receive
on the right side the suns rays at an
angle of twenty to twenty-five degrees,
the left eye being closed On a table
covered with gray paper and under diff
fuse light place two hen s-feathers, one
black and the other white, distant 6
to O.S metre from the eye. Alter
about two minutes, with the right eye in
the suns beams, the dark feather appears
red and white one emerald-green. After
few seconds the black feather OF red
color seems edged with green and the
white feather seems of rosy color. Now
close the right eye and open the left.
The black feather will be black and the
Il Hhite one white. The effect is evidently
ic to insolation; the black feather ap-
ears red because it reflects much less
ght than the white feather. From the
w of simultaneous contrast of colors,
e insulated eye seeing the green By
bite light, the black feather must APP
ar OF the complementary color OF green,
hich is red