New-York tribune., 1878-02-02
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE


THE GASES SOLIpIrIED.-ClOsc upon the
auefaction Of oxygen and hydrogen. comes tie an
nouucement that they have been s0lidihed. The men
who have achieved these tridmpbs are NM Plctet, oi
Geneva and Caletei Of Paris: they running close
race Of discovery NJ. Pctet in very recent expert
mcnt with hydrogen compressed at $50 atmo'pheres
found on opening the sopcock that the Issued With
noise like that hot iron bar under water, and II
had steel blue color Tie jet suddenly became inter
mittent and there followed sort OF nan OF the
solid particles Of hydrogen, which fell with violence on
the ground and produced cracking noise Aiterward
the stopcock was closed and there evidence that
crysaZatOn OF hydrogen took place within the tupc;
but when the temperature was again raised the gas
issued AS liquid NJ Dumas the president OF the French
Academy Of Sciences accepts these facts full con-
nrnation OF his theory, long ago advanced thar ny
drogen is gaseous metal lie now adds the statement
that when person drinks glass Of water, he imbDcs
metallic oxide. Nature. in mentioning these astonishing
performances, couples with them another, WHICH
CARDS yet remarkable from SesUHc ioih' oi
view. ". Pctct las been able 10 measure WIN very
given weight of Oxygen in the liquid state; this w3s
found 10 agree VITA the volume circulated lO thc SUd
BY means OF Nco prisms NJ Pictst observed the Jel
of liquid oxygen in pJrizrd Sht, ald onhd strong cN
idence OF tie presence OF solid particles
MINNESOTA FROGs.-A new industry has re-
Gently sprung up IN parts of Minnesota that has already
new thing; IL Is simple matter consisting chiefly in tie
protection Of eggs and tadpoes from birds and other
enemies by means OF wire The product thus far
reported amounts to 5000 dozen Of frog legs of which
about two-thrds have been SHIPPED To 81 LOUIS Ihe
average quotation OF prices Is ~ cents per uO%ch
THEOLOGY AND SCIENCE.-At a reception
during the past week. given to its members by The New
York Academy Of Sciences, the Rev. Dr. Henry e. Potter
mentioned the following occurrence: At The time OF
Irft 'ex.if tn is
frcau,n:ly with HIM in public An English clergyman.
who saw The pair walking in the street shortly aier"ad
demonstrated with Dr Potter for such Intimacy Win the
man Of science, and stated that, durihg course
Of Dr. Tyndalrs lectures the bishop OF the 40
cesc where they were delivered instructed his clergy
10 discourage their nocks from attendance upon the
scientific cxpoSitons DR.. Potter replied that no such
prescription applied in this country, ho had himself
seen The bishop of his diocese the platform ut Pro-
cssor JBdals lectures here. Other Interesting mel
dents were also related having a similar bearing. III
has been alleged that Professor Tyndal OBJ
jccted to having a blessing asked upon food before
meal: but pr Potter could testify that at public
dinner The Professor had begun proceedings by request
ug that II any clergyman present he should pro-
Dressing, and that The request vas complied
Professor Tyudall and displayed knOwlc of his
writings and an appreciation oi M icrtccy ia tne irch
for siiCt truth winch were an agreeable surprise 10 'e
audience.
New BUILDING FOR SCIENCE.-Thc Daven-
port Academy of Science held first meeting IN It's
Nudng. The structure Is well adapted to the wants
OF local scientific society aud is very credtablc 10 the
enterprise OF the Davenport Academy. There Is room
for reelection on the fact that such building be
erected within few months. by pubc-spntcd citizens,
the young and distant state Of Iowa, while the
Academy Of Sciences, in NcwYork city. has 20 depend
the kindness of friends for s mccingpace. and is
obliged TO store its valuable library elsewhere.
BEEr-EATING PLANTs.-Mr. Francis Darwin
has carried ont series OF successful experiments to test
the question whether carniyOrOus plants really bencat
10y the insects which they capture and kill About 200
plants OF DTOScrd rOtndOHI cultivated ia soup
plates during most Of last Summer Each plate di-
vidcd as to It's contents by a wooden partition; but
wholly screened by gaukc one hlf the plants in each
plate had few small bits Of roast meat fed to them at
Intervals 10y being placed the leaves the weight Of
the meat being abou, the hftIeh Of grain. The plants
the other half OF each plate were not favored;
otherwise all treated alike. At the end Of the
the fed plants weighed 2l.j per cent more
than The others flower stems. seeds and capsules Of
the itd pants were dH'u' - uHl's H.i''' ''' ~"
seeds weighed about J.s times more than the unfed
orr, n5 1,. us 'i ~ M, III P's 1 t
Of insects, which assmllatcd rs planood through
the leaves.
DISAPPEARANCE OF SATURN'S RrNGs.-On
February the rings OF Saturn wal entirely disappear.
Their northern side has been visible since August L..
rings will alone presented. and scarcely traced
by the telescopes. On March the earth Will
pass TO tic southern Illuminated side 81 the rings,
ana they VIII again become visible for period Of four
teen years In 1-GrG2 there succes.iycly dis
appearance, appearance another disappearance and
rcappcarancc within ninc months. the position OF
the earth In lts orbit assisting III the repetition Oi the
phenomenon
STATE SURVEYs.-At the very time when n
bill Is before Legislature 10 eXtngush state
survcys Maine i probably about TO organize mineral
survey of her territory urgent petitions having been
sented asking for an appropriation 10 meet this want
The measure introduced into Legislature is very
has been admirably and cheapy managed by Mr. Yer
plauck COlyin; 1t viii stop with the current volume
the publication Of the Natural History OF New-York
state including It's ra!TOn0oSy; and II VIII prevent
further action on the part OF the state TOpOgraph-
ical Survey which the Commissions lab0rs have been
yet chefy Of preliminary cafa, ter II the advances
"f science depended on iNe food WIZ oi huch pOtcah-
send 10 Albany. the steam engine and the telegraph
would never have been invented.
LAST MoNTI's WEATHER.-Thc records of
the Signal Service station in this city show a larger
amount OF rainfall Gncludng snow in January than that
several preceding months, though by large
for the season the total for the mouth exceeding i2
inches. The variations OF barometrc pressure be
tween 72O and 293l2 inches the being 3OOo2.
The highest temperature 5io Falr the lowest 9o
and readers who thought January month will be
surprscd at the temperature, 81 90 which below
point Tncrc were 20 clear or fair days out OF
showing unusually fcke The greatest velocity
Of the wind was 60 miles per hour
No PROSPECT OF TURBor HERE-The en-
deayOr OF the United states Fish Commission intro
ducc turbot and soles into American has been
,IV A q shc