New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-03-08
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE,.
TIE MICROPHoNE AND VOLCANoEs.-A recent
number of La Nature gives illustrated account OF the
arrangement adopted by the Italian Count Mocenigo,
in appyiny the microphOne to detect vibrations OF
earthquakes He fluids the pendulum form most quit
able This he ri iced in against the wall IN room
on the gro IND 1OOr OF isolated hotel In inc country
and was thereby able to classify all the different Viora
he heard in the connected telephone whch was
provided with an acoustic horn. A gavanometer was
introduced into the circuit He could recognize various
meteorological phenomena and not only wini, ram
ETC. but lightning flashes. without thuoder. were ind
both through the gavanOneter ana the telephone
Other noises of different KIND were fouhl tOCOihruc
very often with the agtati0ns Of the seismOgrdph The
mlcrophone has Lately been applied To NesuVlns also
Al the Solfatara dc POzzuo, NJ Ross SAYS tue hterha
working OF tho volcano violent That the
observers were terrified.
A CHEAP CONSTANT BATTERY.-A CORE
spond,nt The Journal Of the telegraph sc nds to that
paper his experience with modified Caoud battery
He says: Daring the first week in December, 1877,
prepared two sets of c bland locals two cells to eachl
with sawdust in this placed the copper disk
in It's place then filled the nterstces with blue vrio
pounded toeraby fine. level with the top OF the copper
THIS required pounds aud ounces Of the vltrl0l Tor
each cell. On the vitriol paseboard disk was placed
fitting neatly On this pasteboard disk | packed dry
sawdist tightly could to height OF nearly three
inches Above this sawdust was placed another paste
then filed with to their proper ne and the next
day placed In circuit two OF sounders on To-
cal wires. These cells worked just strong and far
more REGULAR, than those prepared in the usual way
In fact, ih'Te was no cinGe II thelr rfsuariG' tney
IRE removed rom the instruments at least NIFTY feet
Nothing "hateye~ was done 10 them during their con
tiuuincc excepting the replacing OF the cYapOrdtcd
wafer Had oil been used, probably even this ht" at
t,nuon would not have been required. These cells
aS"d until the Latter part of January 1879, period OF
near fourteen months. The zines were entirely con-
ounei. nu at least one-iltth OF the buc Vtrlo re-
nod in the & ls d. q
vitrlo. counting II as all consumed, averages htlc
less thar two and onehalf ounces per cell per month
Pacing price of the yirO II 10 cents per pound, the
would average lS5 cents per cell per month. The
also lasted much longer than when set up in the
regular way"
How Hot Is THE SUN7-Thc Temperature of
the sun ia, recently subject able invest
CATION by W. RoSseit He first sought to establish the
laws OF radiation in relation to the temperature FIRST,
the radiation Of L,-cS cube filled with mercury and
heated t. 300 measured with thermOplle and
WIedemann galylnomcter The formula arrived at was
tested in the case OF q copper bail heated in
the fame Of Buuscn burner to ABOUT 1000 to 5000.
Further. The raatng power OF various bodies "copper",
copper covered lamp5lick, iron, platinum and
chloride of magnesium, heated in the Bunsen burner
oXVhydr"gru b'wpipr was also examined, ana gave
ranging mp 10 24OO Taking into account absorption
m the earth's atmosphere, and making observation OF
the heating Of "A fhrrmOpilr By the radiation or tie sum-
the ohctlve temperature ot TINS ORR was concluded To
b. 9.9654 C.. Or 2O3sO7o C.. according as regard Is
mad to the absorption ny the solar atmosphere round
the photoSphcrc or not
TAME BIRDS.-A correspondent of Land and
Water interesting Instances of the tameness
OF birds had jackdaw that uscc to follow the car
rage for miles drove in the country, but II
we to the town, about mile and a half distant
Jack would ROMAN the walls Of the Old castle, outside
the town. until we returned, and then fly round and
round the pony'S head finally aghting on the splash
board. FIVE any other conveyance, he always flew
off INTO the hedge. likewise had little blue TIT, who
used to settle the tall trees near the house, and come
down when called, aiighting often on my head or
shoulders lady, all acquaintance OF mine, had, sue
saws canary 50 tame that IL used pull hair out OF
her curlS to line its with. This very severe Winter
has tanned the Wild birds in this neighborhoOd. Ny
window Is constantly bceged by them; robins hnches.
sparrows and blackbrds flying up directly 1t is
onrned Tor am in the habit OF feeding them during
frosty weather one, rcdbrcast Is the master. He is
such greedy lit fellow he eats his Ill ana then sits
tcrng such shrll shrieSs am often obliged to and
drive HIM of that they may come ana pick few
crumbs up. \ young friend OF mine put whole Ioaf
out, bal qUJrtcn cut in two. ana II was 80 amusing
10 Bobby, the birds had picked out the crlmb
cnsconcr himself III the she'll ana scream out defiance
10 all MS companions.
ELECTROTYPISG on CHINA.-FOr clectrOtyp-
ing on nonconductng materials, such china and
porcclau new and ingenious process has lately been
introduced in France. sulphur is dissolved in oil Of
spike Lavender to syrupy cOnsstcnce; then chloride
Of gold chloride OF platinum is dissolved suphurlc
ether and the two solutions mixed under gentle heat
The compound T. eVapOraed until OF the thickness
of ordinary pant. in which condition II is applied with
brush 90 such proportions Of the china, glass or other
fabric is dcs red TO cover according To the design
or pat crn with the cccrOmealuc deposit The objects
arr baked the usual way before they are immersed In
The bath.
Rose PORPIWRITIC GRANITE.-ln q letter by
Professor W. T.. Blake, OF NrwIIIyen to The Hartford
Courant from the Paris Exposition. that gentleman
speaks very flItcrngy " this granite He "The
.t..Tl.,, Ella