The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-12-27
Scientific Miscellany.

seen at a distance of one hundred
and sixty -four miles.
After some $4,000 examinations,
DIR. Jeffries affirins that about one
male in twenty-five is color-blind to
greater or less degree. He finds
the defect to be largely hereditary,
although sometimes occasioned by
disease OF injury. In the former case
it is incurable, but in the latter, it
may be only temporary difficulty.
Recent comparative measur-
ments of the crania Of eminent men
and Of criminals show that while a
capacious intellect requires a large
skull, a large Uranium is not always
attended by high order of intelli-
gence. The crania of considerable
number of criminals were found to
have capacity much above the av-
erage.
Berlin rejoices in the possession
of a scientific cooking association,
formed by housewives of the city.
1t has a school of instruction in cook
cry; and qualified chemist gives
members of the society lectures in
practical chemistry. A laboratory
has been established, in charge Of the
chemist, for the examination of ar
ticles of food, and, also, of utensils
employed in cooking.
"A recently discovered fossil ami
NAL, Amphicaelias frogilissimus, is
described as monster considerably
more than one hundred feet in length,
with spinal vertebrae six feet across,
hind legs forty feet long, and large
and powerful tail. Imagine the mon
ster in life standing on his hind legs
and catching its prey with its fore
paws, and striking picture is
brought to mind from the ages long
agone.
To convince various scientific
skeptics in regard to certain events
of Biblical narrative, Able Moigno,
editor of Les Mondes, of Paris, pro-
poses fitting ont an archaeological
expedition to search for the remains
of the Egyptian cavalry buried in
the Red Sea. His belief is that these
remains can be found by digging
for them, and that the action of the
salt in which they are buried must
have kept them in a good state of
preservation.
From study of the action OF
tea, Mr.. w. j. Morton has reached
these conclusions: AS with any 9TH
er drug, there is proper and an i'm
proper use of it. In moderation it is
mild and harmless stimulant. Its
im1noderate use leads to serious
symptoms, such as headache, vertigo,
ringing in the ears, tremulousness,
nervousness. exhaustion, irregular
action of the heart, and dyspepsia.
Many of the symptoms of excessive
80 1r;,I~;,rr ora cuah rs NOV oncr,r
without a suspicion Of the real canse.
Major j. w. Powell, who has
given much attention to Indian my
thoiogies, finds the philosophy of
rain and snow entertained among
certain tribes a peculiar one. Ac-
eordiRg to the Shoshones, monster
serpent-god coils his back against
the ice of which the armament is
made, and Tnbs off flakes, which fall
as snow in winter, and melt to form
rain in summer. The Oraibi believes
that an upper God makes rain by
dipping feathers in the lakes of the
sky, and sprinkling the earth; but
in winter the God brushes the ice OF
the sky-lakes and filings it down as
snow.
An interesting paragraph in the
early history Of the electric telegraph
in England is given in connection
with sketch of it's first engineer
An experimental line was run on
the Great Western Railway from
London to Slough, but was little
nsed. The full scope of the tele
graphs utility was then hardly
dreamed of, it's practical use being
confised almost entirely to railway
signaling, The signals to be trans
mitted were few in number, and thu
old system Of semaphores was pre-
ferred to the electric innovation. Tn
aine proved Of SO little service il
fact, that the company actually or
dered its removal as a incumberance
just at this time murder was com
mitted at Slough. A police agen
starting for London, sent messag
over the wire lnstructing the author
sties to take note Of man in Quake
dress. The man was seen. an
.x.~<I oo,,lJ I.