The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-02-22
SCIENTIFIC MTSCELE4NT.

\ German entomologist has ascertain
ed that there are 3,2I6 species of Prus
sian beetles.
In respect to its actual illuminating
power, the coal gas of the city of Lon
don to-day is but little, if any, bette
than it was a quarter of a century since
Mr.. T. S. D. Humpidge, on English
analyst, thinks that the advance made
during that period relates to the improve
ment of burners than to the improve
ment of the gas itself.
The Canadian minister of agriculture
asserts that Paris green is the only sub,
| stance yet discovered to be efectual on q
large scale for the destruction of the Colo
radepOtato beetle before in the larvastate,
1t has been pointed out that there might
be some danger Of poisoning persons if it
were Unfortunately applied to the leaves
of plants for this purpose, but it appears
to have been extensively used in many
of the states.
The so-caIled Mexican onyx, which
was so greatly admired at the centennial
exhibition, occurs most abundantly in
the Mexican stateof Puebla, near the town
Of Tecali, and is chiefly a carbonate of
calcium. According to Prof. Bacena,
one of the commissioners from Mexico
the variegated green and reddish hues of
the beautiful rock are attributable to the
presence of the oxides of manganese and
of iron in small quantities.
The memoirs of the geological survey
of India are now in course of publica-
ton by the government. A recent
volume contains a description of the
Punjaub, west of the Indus river. The
salt is generally pure, and not less than
1920 feet in maximum thickness, but
its precise geological age is doubtful, as
it contains no fossils. Hills and cliffs of
salt are numerous, and the mineral crops
out in various other parts of the district
An effort to determine how much the
earth's temperature is affected by the
presence Of spots on the sun has been
made by Prof. Langley, of the Allegheny
astronomical observatory, at Pittsburg.
His calculations indicate that when the
sun-spOts are fewest the mean tempera-
ture Of the earth due to solar radiation
is from three-tenths to one-twentieth of
4 degree greater than when the sun-spots
are most numerous. The degree on which |
the measurements are based is that of
the centrigrade thermometer.
Among the latest papers of Prof 0. .
c. Marsh in regard to the fossils in the .
Yale college museum is briet account /,
Of the American pterodactyls or gigantic |
flying lizards, whose remains have been
found in the cretaceous deposits of Kan
3as. Some Of them, he says, have
spread of wings not less than Twenty-Five
eet, and they differ from similar crra-
ures Of the Old World, especialIyi in the
!bsence of teeth. He has classified them
ntO two genera: Ptryano,}9n, which
the largest lizards already
and Nyctaaaurus, a new genus,
# which the type was a pterodactyl of
mailer size, having a space of eight or
en- feet between the expanded wing tips
Arithmetic does not keep pace with
he other mathematical sciences, An
ddress on the present state of mathe-
natical science was lately delivered be-
ore the mathematical society in London
" PROT. H. s. Smith, who said that
While some Of the greatest conceptions
{ modern algebra had their origin in
with arithmetic, the pro
ress of modern algebra and geometry
adj far outstripped the progress OF arith.
letic, and one great problem which
have now is to endeavor
D turn to account for their own science
he great results which have been at,
aimed in the sister sciences" He &C s
however, that this would be ]
difficult task. Il
No wolves are now found in New Eng