The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-03-07
FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE.

1t is said that Sir ]. G. Dalzell has thriv-
ing sea-anemone in his aquarium, which
was taken from the ocean in 1923. and is
therefore al least twenty-eight years old.
The writer who gives the fact also states
that he has in his own aquarium sea-ane-
mOnes that are a dozen years old. He like
wise states that the water in one of his
aquaria has not been changed for fifteen
years, and in another for seventeen years.
1t is kept fresh by growing plants and by
aeration.
Basing his views on personal observation,
Herr Won SchleintZ Is of the opinion that In
the Pa,ifc the Arctic deep sea current
crosses the equator in a southerly direction
and meets the Antartic current only be-
tween the thirtieth and thirty-sixth degrees
of south latitude. This is just the reverse
of what takes place in the Atlantic, as OBJ
servers hold that in the Atlantic the Antarc-
tic deep sea current passes the equator, run
ming northward of the same to a consider
able distance.
The great clock at the south end of the
crystal palace at Sydenham is now In work
ing order. 1t is almost a counterpart of the
great Westminster clock, with the exception
of the striking and Ginning apparatus; and
the dial is said to be the largest ever con-
strscted, being 40 feet in diameter, or nearly
1900 square feet in area. The hands, with
their counterpoises, weigh nearly a quarter
of ton; the minute hand measures 10 feet
in length and moves half an inch at every
beat of the pendulum. The distance
travelled by the point OF the minute hand is
nearly four miles a week. During IL days
of observation the variation was eight sec
ends only.
The Netherlands geological association es-
tablished in 1876 transportable station on
the Dutch coast where anatomical, micro
scopical, physical, chemical and meterologi-
cal studies may be carried on. A wooden
house was constructed so as TO be readily set
up and again taken to pieces. This was fur
nished with every appliance for scientific
work, with the exception microscopes and
steel instruments. Early in July the house
was transported to Helder, the northern
seaport of Holland, and situated on the top
OF the great dyke which there protects the
low countries from the sea. For eight
weeks work was carried on at the station, the
members OF the association improving the
opportunities afforded for studying the
marine fauna of the North sea at that point,
and making many interesting observations.
The station was then taken down and carried
back to Leyden. 1t is decided to locate it
for the ensuing summer in the neighborhood
of Flushing.
From statistics regarding the distribution
OF the flora of Europe, the curious conclus-
or fruit with special APPENDICES to aid in
their dispersion, are generally less widely
scattered than those destitute OF such helps
The single exception is in the case of seeds
provided with a tuft of hair, technically
termed coma, which have a very broad
range. The seeds of the willows are furn-
ished with a coma, and so are the milk
weeds. DIR. Gray states that these last plants,
which are "the most comose-seeded OF the
higher orders, have not wide range in
North America. IL is also found, from a
study of the European fora, that plants
whose flowers bear but a single seed are more
broadly distributed than those bearing two
or more seeds in each cell. Plants with al
luminous seeds somewhat surpass in range
the ex-albuminous, singular fact consider
ing that ex-albuminous seeds have the
longest known vitality, and best bear ex-
posture to sea water. Large genera have a
slightly greater dispersion than small ones,
and variable species than those not especially
20.