Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-03-01
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

lake SO long as 1t IS not frozen, Is
a reservoir of heat which tempers the
cold of winter. DIR. Forel calculates
that the heat evolved from the Lake of
Geneva during five days Of extreme cold
in December was equal to that which
would be produced by the combustion of
!, 100000 tons of coal. The sky having
been generally covered with clouds dur
ing those FIVE days, the greater part of
the heat must have been retained in the
lower atmosphere, and doubtless served
to mitigate for that region the cold that
was so intense elsewhere.
The uniform green color of the vege-
table world is due to chlorophyll. This
substance, however, exists only in mi
mute quantity in plants, the leaves of a
large tree neutrality-suspicious. not more
than one hundred grains. 1t appears to
be direct product of the action Of sun
light on vegetation, as it does not exist
in plants kept in darkness. The changes
in the color of leaves in autumn are sup
posed to be due to the oxidation of their
chlorophyll.
A puzzle to scientists is the remarka-
BILE persistence of certain odors. More
than one thousand years ago, the NOR
tar used in the construction of the Mos
que of St. Sophia, in Constantinople,
was charged with musk, the perfume of
which permeates the building to this
day.
The first minor planet, or asteriod,
was discovered Jan. l, 1900, the first
day of the nineteenth century. Over
two hundred of these minute worlds
probably varying from ten to three hun
dred miles in diameter-are now known,
and, as everybody is well aware, the
number is being rapidly increased.
One of the hottest localities on the
globe is along the Persian Gulf, where
rain seldom or never falls. At Bahrin
the arid shore has no fresh water, yet
considerable population contriyes to ex-
ist there, thanks to the copious springs
of fresh water which issue from the bot
tom of the sea. The fresh water is Sc
cured by divers, and brought to the sur
face in large goat-skin bags. The source
of these submarine springs is thought to
be in the green hills of Osman, some
five or six hundred miles distant
Few persons are aware that the most
powerful telescope in existence is not the
gigantic reflector of Lord Rose, with
mirror SIX feet IN diameter. The real
power of a telescope consists in accurate
definition, in which this great instru-
ment has been surpassed by several
smaller ones. The finest telescope in
the world has undoubtedly been the
twenty-six-inch refractor of the United
States Naval Observatory at Washing
ton but reflector, with mirror thir-
ty-seven and one-half inches in dame
ter, has just been completed by Mr.. A.
A. Common, of England, which is ex-
pected from the results of tests thus far
applied to excel the American instru-
ment in power.
A German apiarist applies electricity
to the handling of bees. The insects
are stunned by the passage of the cleo
trio current through the swarm, and re-
main motionless for quarter of an hour
or more. No injury to the bees results.
A large workshop in France has been
lighted during the present winter by
means of Clamond's thermo-electric sys-
tenn, the electricity being generated by
the heat used to warm the shop.
Mr. R. Russell calls attention to the
fact that the essential conditions requir-
ed to enable men to fly to moderate
distance now exist-namely, the means
of conveying force with ease. and, se-
condly, the convertibility of force thus
conveyed into the mechanical rotation
or oscillation of vanes. Il cannot be
wrong" says he, "in assuming that a
steam engine sending an electrical cur
rent through wires attached to a rotatory
apparatus might cause the apparatus
Clearing man to direct it) to ascend to
considerable height above the earth.