The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-09-12
SCIENCE
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES..

Some interesting experiments as to
the influence of atmospheric electrici.
ty on the nutrition of plants have
lately been made by M. Grandeur,
and communicated by him to the
Academy Of Science, OF Paris. He
placed two plants of the same species
tobacco, maize, wheat) under the
same conditions as to soil, aeration.
issolation, etc., but the one with.
drawn from the action of atmospheric
electricity by means of a Faraday's
cage. The plants thus withdrawn
elaborated, in equal time, so or 60 per
cent less of living matters than the
others. Plants Of small elevation
above the ground are also affected by
atmospheric electricity. The cen.
tesimal amount of proteic matter
formed appears not to depend sensibly
on this action; it is proportional to
the yield. The proportion of ash is
higher in plants removed from the
electricity. and the proportion of
water is less. The French scientis
however, does not explain why it is
that two plants Of the same species.
growing in a field side by side, and
under the same conditions, do not
always attain the same development
nor elaborate the same amount Of
material from the soil.
Tropical Butterfies.-Mr. Wallace,
in his recent volume c.Tropical
Nature'). destroys some Of the
illusions of those who have never
travelled in the tropics, as, for ex-
ample, that the fora of these ATTITUDES
presents a dazzling brilliancy Of
color. On the contrary. foliation is
the most prominent feature, and a
CONSPICUOUS mass of blossoms, when
occasionally met with, forms merely
ian oasis of color in a desert of YER
dure." The next most general
characteristic of a tropical forest is
the apparent absence of animal life:
for although an immense variety Of
forms is actually present, they are so
widely scattered and shy as to re-
quire careful search to detect them.
This too, was the experience Of our
American explorer Of the Amazons.
the late Professor Orion. A striking
exception to this rule, however, is
presented In the cas- Of the butterflies
which are not only numerous. but ex-
tremely CONSPICUOUS from their size
and gorgeous coloring. Of these the
author says: Their aspect is alto
gether different from that presented
by the butterflies of Europe and most
temperate countries. \ considerable
proportion of the species are very
large, six or eight inches across the
wings being not uncommon among the
Papilionide sand MorphidG, while
several species are very large. This
great expanse of wing Is accompanied
by a slow flight; and. a they keep near
the ground and often rest, sometimes
with closed ard sometimes with ex-
banded wings. these noble insects
really look larger and are much more
conspicuous objects than the majority
of native birds. The first sight
of the great blue Morphos Topping
along in the forest roads near Para, of
the large white-and- black semi-trans-
parent Ideals floating airily about in
the woods ear Malacca, and of the
golden-green Ornithopteras sailing on
bird-liKe wings over the Towering
shrubs which adorn the beach of the
he and Aru Islands, can never be
forgotten By any one who has affecting
of admiration for the new and beauti-
full in nature"
The POISON Upas' Tree.-Among
the numerous fctions regarding the
animal and plant world that still go
to form the staple of popular s fence
compilations for the village library.
that regarding the pestiferous exhala-
tons from the poison npas" ispromi-
nent- The erroneous and exaggerated
statements respecting the upas tree
tAntiarie toxicaria) are due to 4
Dutch surgeon, DR.. F0ersch. who cir.
culAted them about the close Of the
last century The tree was described