New-York tribune., 1877-09-15
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.


Last SGfnrlay's TRIBUNE contained onei
abstract Of Prot wdcrs paper the Respiration Of the
hui, rad al tae recent meeting OF the American
Association He has also mado the following ohserVa-
tioos which confirm the conclusion that the western
,nufsh really brcathcs air by means OF It's very vascular
and lune-llke air-bladder careful anaiYsis eho"eu
tha; the air expired by the sh contained about - Per
cent Of carnonc acid while that from human lungs
contains about per cent. BY injecting the vessels.
Prof wacr also forni that the blood reaches the air
bladder through large artery given OF from the last
gin on each side ana thus quite directly from the heart
and that the returning blood more or less purified nthe
airsaddcr reaches the heart again by two large Ncins
which the Guricular sinuscs AZ the Aquarium III
mis- citv IN tauk 4S are several AnGS The constant
aud perfect aeIaton OF the water makes 1t less frequent
ana nhae the ar. hut il visitor VIII watch them care
fully he viii see thcm come 70 ne SUI &c ior M OF nv Ioc
tank have the same habit with both ,ho ordinary res
lrafory movements (bv the uouth and sill covers are
n~ch less fre0nent than in the cafshes suckers and
most other fishes whose ahlatders have ROT the lnng-
Ike arrangement, aad therefore depend wholly upon
their giis
Students Of mythology and folklore are
beginning 20 suspect that the theory witch traced nearly
alisuch observations the moon. stars,
winds and clouds. may have boon pushed beyond the
probable facts reaction from these extreme views
has undoubtedly taken place. and tho influence OF native
.orcercrs and wizards among uncviizsd races, along
with the tendency TO aScrbe Supernatural Attributes u
everything new strange little understood, viii here
after he more fully valued in this line OF research.
Among misleading circumstances which make IT dlihcut
10 trace the ofgln %. 20 lore iac ActtutH5 ~
sailor has been making living bv telling the nursery
tales Of his childhood TO the fUan Islanders.
The notion that the satellites of Mars can be
scen telescope have gained WIDE curen-
cy correspondent writes from Baltimore that he and
all his family plainly the two satellites, by means OF
alookinc-sass The moons were distinct the one most
distant from plane being the brightest II is urged
that this method OF seeing the orbs ought TO be gen
orally recommended, few newspaper readers have
tecscopcs II somewhat dscOuaging 70 this class OF
readers. they may well he told the truth about H.
II the writer tho letter from Baltimore cen see from
his rceence there, by means Of is loongsiass an Oh
ioci o c size OF piece the dome OF the aP
ito AZ Washington then he may hope to sec Ine aees
Of 8as in the same way . no maze pa eo'ncc 1d ar nr;
and tho teu-ceu piece ln ght be Illuminated by bnlis
that experiment however, 1t might he Just well TO
look FOR satellites o. Venus hy means o mirror II tle
ihrT inc h ret obtained nv this method, being rcfac
class With metallic mirror there Is no such moon
shine.
At recent meeting of the Academy of
Sciences at san Francisco Profs Hayden and Asa Gray
and sir Joseph Hooker. present. Prot Davidson
made address Of welcome and the guests responded
IN brief speechca. Among other striking remarks Of
Sr Joseph Hooker was the statement thaJ you may
travel from England to SPAIN from Siam 10 China,
without finding 50 diverse vegeatons "a by crossing
the Mississippi and comparing the banks one hundred
miles east on one side with those one hundred miles
west on the other" In gard to the California coast
lie declared thd there section Of the earth where
20 many singular phenomena can be observed hence he
inferred the value Of the work Of science In that region
He advised the Academy that three elements need
f 10 The success Of such bodies keeping tGgether mo
elderly members hearty ana efficient Work nv inc
farKn n
mcnt OF thc finances.
A new device is reported from Lima, Oho
for preventing Grcs from upset stoves in railway acct
dents H. th, cDntrvaUce the stove surrounded by
strong wrought iron cylinder constructed in two halves
The upper half usually elevated above ine lower
so as TO leave space for access to the stove. and
for radiation OF heat When the upper half
falls, il closes firmly by means Of sprlns hooks
ursa the lower one aud at the same time shuts and
fascns heavy dampcr in the aperture Of the stoveppe
The upper half OF the cylirder, when rests upon
catch connected with lever, cousruetcd that tho
Though it might be useful, especially IL the lever
machinery were more compact. Perhaps nothing los
than Che test Of experiment would determine whether
~ q up-c very suddenly the two part, Of tho
cylinder would together before the upper part had
ceased 60 De above lhc lower
The Austrian Government is said to be dis
satisfied with the Whitehead ish-torpedo, and similar
complaint finds utteranca in England, Notwithstanding
tho extrayagaut praise that accorded to the nvcn
tion few months ago The chief objection seems to be
that after the torpedo is started under water its direc
ton cannot be depended upon It's driven along fast
a. was hoped by ts propeller but Its line Of motion
Is likely dcyiac II passes through water that has
motion of It's own due 10 currents Hence. there is
certainty whore the torpedo may turn up; might he
detected from ifs 10 strike friend Instead OF an
The L1y torpedo open O. no such objection.
it, direct on constantly undrr control Of operator.
who manages 10 hY electric COinmau, alton along
wire that is piayel out rs IL proceeds like string 10
Lite
Prof. Ncrrill and the other naturalists at
tached 10 the United states Fish Commission been
making saa-cruisc Oh Halifax Nova Scotia and have
hal excellent fortune In their hauls with the dredSe.
Their projected trip 10 be Of three DAYS to the
deep water near the Gulf Stream, abol $50 miles south
~ Halifax H. asis probable, naturaiisis
large 1p ofs,ranEr animals Ia Canadian waters, there
will be~a ground FOR damages to he urged asainst
The United states. before the International Commission
at Hafsx II might he difficult 10 estimate the value of
unknown starnsh and aucmones IN pounds sterling. but
when American. aX % thcui the breaking names OF
modern science. surely the matter might count a
sentimental Grievance and the would sound
heavy IN the schedule OF damages.
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