New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-08-03
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

like parcel Of hysterica, slatepencueatihg schoo
girls" The Doctor asserts that the sparrows In the
country already number countless Millions" ana ne
anticipates the terrible havoc they will commit In the
grain fields orchards and kitchen gardene few years
hence when they win have increased 20 millions OF
millions" He brings formidable list OF charges
against the nteropers and declares that prompt ana
stringent measures should be taken as matter OF Ma
tiOnal economy to check their Increase Although e'-
IDENTIFY not phopasserite," Dr. Coues wouii NOT
wage against the sparrows war OF determination, Dut
offers these suggestions for keeping down their num-
bers Let the birds shift for themselves turn them
loose and put them the footing as other birds
That is take down the boxes ana all the special con-
trivanees for shelterng and petting the BIRDS stop
feeding them stop supplying them with building ma
terials let them take OF themselves ii. Abolish
the legal penalties for killing them The birds are no"
under the arm OF the law, which protects them from
most of the natural vicsstudes Of birdliie Let the
boys kill them II they wish or iet them ne ulpPeu
and used pigeons or glass balls are now used, IN
shooting matches among sportsmen. Vast numbers OF
"sparrow-clubs in various cities, which make ous
ness Of practising on various OF our sma Dr9s ,9l
substitute answering all the conditions these marksmen
could desire In this way the birds might even DC made
pest they are 10 be had in practically unlimited mum
bers and cOudbe sold by the city to such persons as
might desire TO use them for sporting purposes.
COLoRED PHoToGRAPHs.-NO one has yet
succeeded in producing photographs IN the natural
cOO although the list Of those who have attacked the
problem and failed is unusually long. The Court photo
grapher OF Vienna has, however, made some practical
steps that direction. His process is said 10 depend
upon Analysing light INTO the primary colors, red blue
and yellow taking photograph by each, and then com
bining the result in the printing. plate Is first
chemically prepared as to receive only the yellow
tnts Of the object be depicted and negative Of this
plate is put under the press the cylinder OF which Is
covered with yellow paint that in this impression
nothing but the yellow parts OF the object printed
OF similar process Is then adopted with the other
two cOOrs and after three separate Impressions the
picture is complete. The system, however, does not
sound very promising; and ID certainly the reverse OF
simple.
VOLCANIC ACTION IN THE PACIFIC.-The eX-
hbiton OF volcanic energy the Southern Pacific in the
early part OF the year. to have extended over
considerable area At the island OF Tanna In the group
Of the NewIebFdes, the first eruption took place on
January TO- last about 10 m The bottom N the mar
Dor at the west side above the water for about y
fathoms length at the first earthquake shock new
volcano close to Sulphur Bay between It and
an old volcano second great eruption and earthquake
took place February H. and the bottom OF the harbor
was again upheaved about another fifty fathoms,
making the entrance Of the harb0r very marrow.
Three rocks up about cables length from the west
point to seward out Of eleven fahoms water There
Is bar with only fifteen feet OF water, where there
used 70 be nYe or nVe ana mar lhtnOs Tlght hcIoss
the mouth OF the harbor, little inside. tidal wave
about fifty feet HIGH swept the east point OF tho harbor
destroying all the native plantations. The wave oc
CURED both occasions hut the hrst was the gses
TIE old mountain was very active roaring ana iro"ihg
shock The missionary on the other side OF the Island
say they never knew anything IKE It before. on the
west side the earth has cracked aud sunk consider
ably on the side the land swept by the tidal
wave the plantations on both sides destroyed.
THE Sun MADE OF METAL.-ln n recent
article in The Nineteenth CeHtiTV by Mr.. J. Norman
Locyer the writer very strongly objects to DR. Diapers
discovery Of oxygen In the Mr.. LOckyer says he
has gone carefully the whole ground, and finds Il
that the photograph which DR. Draper bases the dis
cOyefy Is not competent 10 settle such AN Important
questions 2 that he does find the condolences be-
tween bright solar lines and oxygen lines ia the part OF
the spectrum with which ho is most familiar; and go
that comparing Dr. Diapers photograph with the fine
photograph OF the spectrum obtained by Mr. Rutherford
he "fails 20 find any true bright line In the sun what
ever coincident with any line OF oxygen whatever"
Mr. LOckyer up the evidence 10 the suns COM
position In these words: $50 far as our uncontested
knowledge goes the sun II chiefly made Of metal, and on
this account II strangely different from the crust Of
our EARTH in which the metals ale In large minority"
MnLsToNEs MADE OF GLAss.-Tho MdRgfdc-
trer aud Builder calls the attention Of manufacturers
who heavy pieces OF glass; and also Of miers.
recent German discovery, thab the uueht HOuf u
produced by those mstOnes which have the most CLASSY
texture and composition, and the consequent discovery
that pieces OF glass combined IN the way the
French burr and similarly grooyed their surfaces,
will grind better than the burr millsones Tue eonse
quence Of this discovery has been the invention OF the
glass millstOnes made by hessrs Thom and used In
Germany and IN BOrkendorf with great satisfaction,
IL s found that they grind easily and do not heat
the flour as much az the case with the French burr
stone. In grinding grist they run perfectly cold In
order 10 make such stones blocks OF glass OF from 10
II inches vide are cast IA shape similar TO the
French burrs but more regular aud uniform they are
connected with cement In the same way. and dressed
and inTrow-eu with picks aud pointed hanmrrsi but
IL Is believed that damonddessing machines might be
prOhaby applied II IA said that these millstones made
Jumps Of hard glass do not away faster than the
burr stones. stones OF fl2 feet In diameter driven by
did It while remaining cold. The Rrs is duer ooser aud
the hull more thoroughly separated firm the kernel
than is the case with other stones.
Is THE Rocky MOUNTAIN SHEEP COVERED
WITH wooLi-A correspondent Of The Am erieaH Ndtu-
alst answers this question afiirmauvely. He writes
have often met with the Rocky Mountain sheep or
bghoru Oris moHtana). As the high mountains where
these beautiful animals usually occur not accessible
during the cold until recently saw the
sheep otherwise than covered with bair somewhat
semblng that Of the antelope II is neither so ne nor
70 straight that OF the deer but very nearly Of the
same color" Last Summer, however, tho wind River
Mountains Wyoming 1000 feet above sea level, a
band of than hundred mountain sheep were seem
aud some killed with rifles "Ou dressing them" he
adds ait was found that the hair shorter than
usua-about threequarters OF inch In length 1t was
apparently growing rapidly, aud pushing before
layer Of very foe wool about half an men in thickness
In other words the sheep were shedding their wool.
This latter exceedingly fine, ana Of light gray color
portions OF the body ready clear Of It, but
It still remained on the larger part thereof"
BLASTING GELATINE.--NObel, the inventor of
dynnnne Is reported 20 have Devised sim more DOW.