The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-03-20
Scientific Miscellany.

"A new appIcatf0n OF the KuhNk0rM
electric coil has been made in the neigh
borhood Of Marseilles. instead Of using
birdlime sn the trees which are frequen-
ted by birds Of passage, a copper wire is
wound around the trunk Of each tree
and a decoy attached to .saigLbering
staff. When the flock has been attached
by the deeoy, . sheek is given by the
apparatus, and the birds are more surely
stunned than by rifle. Similar expert
ments have shown that the parasites on
vines and their eggs may be destroyed
\ by the powerful electric shocks.
just before the recent opening Of
telegraphic communication with Zanzi-
bar an interruption in the working Of
| the cable occurred, the cause of which
was found to be rupture arising from
the action Of q submarine volcano about
ten miles from the Zanzibar landing
place. This is probably the first in
stance Of volcanic interference with tele-
graphic operations.
DIR. V. Jagie1sky asserts that the
Tartar steppes, Iceland. and the shet-
land, Farce and Hebridcs Islands, are
almost entirely exempt from consump-
ton. These places being low elevations,
the fact tells somewhat against the
especial Or exclusive value Of nountaip
climates. DR.. Jagielsky is inclined to
the opinion that the Immunity is largely
due to the universal use Of kOumiss and
a similar drink called "bland." A large
number Of medical men shure the belief
that if anything will check the progress
Of lung diseases it is koumiss, especially
in a warm, dry climate, like that Of the
Tartar steppes during the summer
months.
by means OF his newly lyinvented
thermopile, for the measurement Of iil-
initessimal degrees of heat, Mr.. Edison
asserts it to be possible to measure the
millionth part Of degree Fahrenheit.
Nor is this all, for the new marvel will
show infn itessimal changes in tho mois-
ture of the atmosphere" changes which
are q hundred thousand times less in
quantity than those that can be indica-
ted by the present barometer"
=" spence's metal" is new metallic
compound which will probably prove Of
much utility. Chemically considered,
the new substance is one Of the class
known as thiates, or sulphur sulrhides,
and specimens lately exhibited in Lon
don consisted of ali ore of iron pyrites
containing both lead and zinc sulphides.
It possesses the valuable properties of
melting at q low heat, expanding in
cooling, great tenacity, and being prac.
tically unaffected by acids, water, or at
mospheric exposure. It has the very i'm
portant advantage of cheapness, and is
said to be especially adapted to great
variety of purposes. As substitute for
type and bronze metals much is 9 expected
Of it.
The petroleum lands Of Peru extend
along the coast distance Of one hun
dred and twenty miles-the tract en-
bracing about 100000 acres. Where
the waters Of the Pacific have worn
away the rocks at places along the shore
oil trickles out at low tide, and for nine=
ty miles this outcrop may he followed
along the surface Of the ocean.
1t is expected that electric motors
will soon be adopted on the street rail-
ways of Berlin,
Tho most infusibls of oil known
metals is iridium, which, a. has been
just determined by French investiga-
tor, melis only when the intense heat of
1910 degrees Fahrenheit is reached.
DIR. Delamotte, an eminent sayant
who is thoroughly conversant with the
geology and geography Of Egypt, is Of
the opinion that the ancient Nile had its
origin in lake much larger and higher
than the Victoria Nyapya and Lake
Tanganyika Of to-day: From this lake
he thinks the water vas distributed
through various river channels, render
ing fertile 2 great area Of the country
which is now 2 dried-up desert. The
wearing away Of the Niles cataract
gradually formed one deep channel, into
| which all the water was ultimately di-
verted. Evidences of the dried-up rivers
are now found in great beds of sand called
by the Arabs of the desert Bahr-el-Abaid
or "rivers without water" To again
distribute the water through these an
cient channels and thus restore great
extent Of territory ia it's ancient fertility,
increasing the arable land of Eegypt
| renfold, DIR. Delawotte believes may be
| accomplished by raising the Niles cata--
racts-in other words, by creating
suitable system Of dams and lacks. The
Khedive is said to be greatly interested
III this scheme Of restoration.
According to La Mature, a nlodifica-
ton of Edison's photographic matrices
has been invented by substituting stea-
rine for the tin-foil aud eleftrotyping the
impressed surface. Ithas been suggested
that these electrotypes, which are made
very cheaply, may render great servics
in the study pf foreign languages, for
they preserve indefinitely and repeat as
often as desired words that are the most
difficult to progounce correctly A veri-
table prono,tncsng dictionary might thus
be made--an undertaking Of which the
widest fancy would not have dream ed