The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-02-07
lonaloso,1biuf Gblcf.
Scientific Miscellany.

cent experiment thirty-seven cats be-
longing in the city Of Liege, Belgium,
were taken in bags long distance into
the country. The animals were released
at2 o'clock in the afternoon, and ut GAS
Of the same day one Of them reached its
home. Ills feline companions arrived at
Licre somewhat later, but within TWEEN
ty-four hours every one had reached its
home. II is now proposed to substitute
cats for carrier-pigeons, and to establish
a regular system Of cat communication
between Liege. and the neighboring vii
lagos.
-Marat. the notorious hero Of the first
French revolution, the same who met his
death at the hands Of Charlotte Cor1ay,
was the author Of several important es-
says on electrical science; while Napo-
leon Donaparte on many occasions dab
bled In scientific lore, and was the liber-
al patron Of men Of science.
1t IL known that great quantity of
invisible and finely-divided meteoric
mntter is floating in space. At the late
meeting Of the American Association,
Prof. Pierce expressed the belief that the
aggregate Of this matter exceeds the
mass Of tho visible celestial objects. The
idea is not new, as Mr.. Isaac Taylor said
nearly half a century ago: "'The inyisi-
ble material creation, it is probable,
vastly outnumbers tho visible; and it
may justly be thought that the worlds
made known to us by their inherent
splendor are to the unseen only III the
proportion Of the chiefs Of an army to the
thousands that fill the rank and file. It
isas if from the summit of tower we
were looking by. night upon boundless
plain filled with the array of war, and
could discern nothing but tho gemmed
,crests Of the captains cleaning amid the
countless and unseen multitudes they
were leading on
Prof. Hagen has decided that the ap-
plication of yeast on insects produces a
fungus which proves fatal to the insects.
Potato-beetles sprinkled with diluted
yeast die within twelve days.
Concerning the subject Of voice in
fishes, Mr.. 8. T.. Poole states that some
six years ago he made IN interesting OBJ
sseryation. While seated in small ca
noe OH the Disang river in Eastern AS
sam, he suddenly became aware of the
presence Of number Of fish called "mall-
sir They were evidently attracted BY
the canoe, and Mr. Poole surmised that
they might possibly think it huge dead
5isli. While watching their movements,
he became aware Of peculiar "cluck y
or persuasive sound-frequently repeated
on all sides, aud coming from below. but
near Mt hand. This was soon traced to
the mahsir, aud one Of them ..made dis
ftnct sounds which were answered Inv
others. Mr.. Poole also says that in some
parts of Eastern Assam large bivalve
sings in concert with others.
Sir William Thompson last year com
menced Il new and curious experiment on
shoemakeEs' wax as a viscous material.
A large circular cake of it, about eighteen
inches across and three inches thick, was
made. This was put into shallow CYL
mdrical glass vessel. which was filled
With water to prevent any sudden change
IN the temperature. Several corks were
put beneath the cake, W tn some bullets
on it's upper surface. Tho result is that.
IN year, the corks have foated IN
through the wax nnt are coming out at
the top, while the bullets have sunk
through the wax and come out ut the
bottom; and this has gone on while the
wax was Mt all times in such a condition
as to be excessively brittle to any sud
'denly-applied force, such as u blow from
a hammer. Mr.. J. T. Bottomlcy has been
experimenting with the same material.
aud has constructed miniature glaciers
IN wooden channels, which present all
the phenomena of flow to be seen in real
glaciers. ..
According to recent German patent.
bronze is rendered as malleable as con-
per or iron by the addition of one and =
halt or two per cent. of mercury.
Among its many objects of historical
interest, the Paris Astronomical Museum
contains pair of Mercator's globes.
dating from the middle of the sixteenth
century. That figuring the earth is the
hrst on which meridians of longitude
and latitude were laid down. 1t is re-
ported that the great equatorial lakes ot
Africa are all to be found on it.
The immortality of the practice Of
consuming cows milk is thus set forth
IN Chinese placar,t translated for the
Foocho" Herald: "Strictly refrain from
eating cows milk Man should not roh
the beasts of their food. Moreover. of all
beasts the COW is the most useful and
meritorlous. Men who do not discrimi-
nate between mankind and beasts are
~ orse than senseless. Those who sell
milk darken their consciences for gain.
and those who eat cows milk foolishly
think they are hcnetitting their bodies.
Men who take medicine should first care
fully investigate and find out its nature.