New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-22
SCIENCE FOR THE PEOPLE.

frO
b,onzc and with bronze handle covered with bamboo
tho rejecting face Is generally more or less convex
coated with a analgam and the back Is Oesu
tifully ornamentod with gracefully e1ecu'en r"seu
desgn Some for the rustic population nave also po'
ished letters. Tie polished rejecting SURFACE wneh
looked at trace whatever OF tho design III ~
lief on the back but when sunbeam. or other or'gh'
light is reflected from the surface on screen 'heIo
IA seen on tho screen an image OF the raised pattern con-
stating OF natural obccs geUmeri al hgures or Cnneso
symbOls srnifyinE "louY lfe." "happ ness etc. lHe
explanation Of the magic OF these Eastern u'toi'
arises not from subtle trick the part OF IN" MAKER
nor from inlaying OF other metals. nor from hardening
=, ortons nv stampinC but from the natural property
nos.essod by certain thin bronze OF buckng under
bending stress TO remain strained IN 'nc oPP"'
direction after the is removed Ana TINS Sesss
applied partly the neCeIo or "dstortns roc auu
partly by the subsequent polishing. which ~ an exactly
similar WAY tends 10 make tho thinner parts more oon
ye1 than the thicker. The mirror ranks very hien IL
Jan.u md takes the place OF the In Roman Ca'u
Ollie countries The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS al i'o'
containing the VafG kGadmi, the nrst ih""e inl'
have IN the eyes Of the Japanese the tane
ma has tho Holy sopuchro for tho GREEKS
and Armenian or Mecca for tho Mahom-
etans The mirror. Therefore, constitutes the mos'
important part Of the resNa Of the japanese
The mythical origin OF tie worship OF the mirror Is tHu'
explained; when gods alone Inhabited the c"''n 'u0
sun-goddess one day hurt her hand with her shu"o,
having hcen suddenly frightened Ivy practical oEr OF
her brother the gOd Of the Sea Sle lholR1HnlH ~
10 cave Darkness followed and the goddess hau 10 20
al pcased The wises OF the gods susGcstcG nIAn S
IMAGE OF her more beautiful than herself Inc JAP
Vulcan fashioned mirror in the shape Of the sun ahu
al gods laughed ard shouted -" Heie Is Gsy MA
surpasses your CORY" "omans curiosity ooal a.
not stand this. Inc goddess peeped out ana %ho hu,
Inirng herself in tho mirror caught and dragged
out by rice rope The national traditions have 1t that
this sun-Soddess (Ama erasu mi kanil teuding her
adopted grandson, who was also the GreatRIahoa,nt'
of the flrst Emperor OF Ja,sn to suhdue the world,
him three presents tue ndao-iGmd Uhe pI.CoSg
Cembemstica OF the spirit OF mani aud the mirror Cen-
bem of her own SOUL Lo2h' sne 500. %n 'I nD
the same floor with yourself aud worship 1t as you
were wonhpping my actual presence"
A Powerful SPECTROsCOrR.--A new spec
tro,copc Of remarkable power has just been brought to
the notice OF the French Academy hy NJ Thollon' lis
chief feature the OF sulphde OF carbon pnsns
which closed ateraly, not by plates with psrahe
faces but by prsms having curved sides meeting al an
angle Two Of those compound prsns are used IN the
spectroscope and IN this enormous desperation Is
obtained; with magnifyng power Of fifteen to twenty
times the spectrum has length OF fifteen metres
This instrument should throw considerable Light on tho
structure OF tie spectrum, and NJ 1hoon has aleddy
magnesium Vrcsent dark nucleus passing tuto nehu-
losity which becomes gradually merged IN the conhu
Gus spectrum. Many lines nave pen slit up uilu o..
thar have thus resolved have been found 10 Ooop
60 two different substances one oil me hydrogen NM
presents nebuos!ty without nucleus etpecrH VI
carbon from The electric are obserred win NE new III
copper and magnesium III The same arc arc also seen
with great cleainoss and OIliliancy'
A USEFUL GARDEN PET.-A writer in Land
aud Water gives an Interesting description OF tame
heron whose syauow-catinc proclivii@s wouli delight
Dr Coucs al ooB heron" he says. from nest last
Summer ard have had him about tho backward ever
suce There were three IN all in tho nest which one Of
my bOatmcn took aud kept for time in tue hoa-D0pse
feeding them On FISH, which they took 10 at once and
IN f140r could a .I
low WHOLESALERS. sFlnes, and ALL When they became
n couple Of months Old. they brought up 70 the
stable-yard, whero they staked about most ndepen-
IDENTIFY. AMI soon began to ~. They gene.
rally took Their stand the top Of house
or gate aud soon began 1yng oH 20
lake close by; lut one met uutimey fate, and
another rens ned the lake and refused 70 return 10
slavery so the remaining one had bis wings clipped
ond las had TO remain walking gentleman ever since
consider him most Gsctul pet As soon rs 1t gets
dusk OF evening, he is to Re seen creeping round all
the quiet with outsreched neck and bent legs
on the lookout for rats and mice which be pounces on
and devOurs greedy. His great delight 10 in small
pond Of water in the Of the yard where he spends
oil his spare tlme IN chasing imaginary fab. and II is
most amusing TO watch him play wish small branch o.
leaf, as cat with reel OF cotton he throws 1t on tie
and da-Ies at il a. II at fish or eel He IS not at
al particular about his Diet and al kinds Of o1al.
When he is given anything, which lie Is unable 70
IT, and srsightvay II disappears down his throat, no
matter what The size NAV bc lie given NUT
Ton chop which had been dust with pepper and ralt
preparatory 10 irving II. TINS he swaH0wcd without
knowing what be WAS eating; hut soon finding II not
very agreeabcn hi crop he ri once brought up gain
10 pond whore he washed the chop ard swallowed
u 10 his sat Saeon-a most sasaclo4s pcrtor5nance
on ms part lie frequently catches sparrow ara OtheI
small birds which come within ms reach; these he swa-
birds"
WRITING by TEIEGRAPH.-A new invention
% practical character has Just been made ~ Mr.. T. A
Cowp,r, wc!lkuown Eagllsh mechanical engineer.
II Is red Geographic writing machine This
writer in London moves his pen, and simultaneously
n, Brighton another pen IS moved, az though by phan
tom hand in precisely similar curves and motions The
writer writes in London, the iuA marks in Brighton
Those who have seen the instrument at work saw that
SIS malves quite startling as those OF the cle
phone The pen az the receiving end has all the appear
ancc ~ being guided by spirit hand. The appaIdtusis
shortly 70 be made public before the society OF I"Ie
graph Engineers fac Sinilc of the writing produced
by this Geographic writing machine shows that the
words formed without any NiUuS al The pCn and
are perfectly Icglbic.
The IIERHESHOTF TORPEDO-BoAT.-Th new
torpedo-boat recently purchased by the British Govern
Ineut from the Hcrrcshof Works, Brsto r. L. appears
10 have given great satisfaction to the Lords Of the Adj
lniralty The new vessel Las thc appearance Of not
very aymmcIical cgarShaped boat covered in at the
top the gray color OF which renders her almost Unds-
unPuishaole 81 even comparatively short distance.
She Il barely J4ia feet long and ~ feet vide, rad when
thoroughly oquplcd for service VIII not weigh more
than seven or e.gAt ton, sho has composite hun
built below the Edter,.Ut, with steel frame, and
SKIN OF wood aud steel Iale a'oyc She Is propelled
l,y single compound, directactlue cOnden>ing engine
the diameter tie cylinders being inches and l0lI
inches with stroke Of 10 inches. Into the stokc-hole
which is inc oscd ar il forced by Sdrtovan blower
driven by separate engine of @Is horse power.
f.-t .Tt,.A r.g.fsr
generator having a coil Of 2iuch pipc about 800 rect
long This mode oi producing steam il said % have the
ADVANTAGE over the ordinary boiler OF bc.ng more rapid
m Ne aclnL nf hng ab.oLniey rec from lhe risk " OK