The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1880-12-17
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

requh emenis for visual power in ma.
vics and merchant marines.
Prof. Dufour, Of Paris, has devised
ihermometical apparatus which is so
sensitive that il will denote--by a de-
lection Of The index needle of two
inches - the change Of temperature
caused by the entrance Of a person in.
to the room where il is placed
A French sarani has made a care
ful comparative analysis Of the staiis-
teal tables Of suicides for France and
Sweden. lie finds that they esiab.
lish two laws, viz; That wiiowers
commit suicide more frequently than
married men; and that the existence
and presence of children in the house
diminishcs The inclination 20 suicide
both in men and women.
PraG Palnieri considers It proven
thai great earthquakes are always pre-.
ccdedby = season Of preliminary earth
tremblings. lie believes that, by
means Of Geographically connected
stations for observing these tremblings
il would be possible to foreiell earth
quakts just as storms are now { re.
told, and to issue warnings TO all
threatened districts three days in ad.
vance. NFt a..
During recent boring Tor water in
the Winners district, Victoria, tree
was passed through for a distance of
six feet at depth of $50 feet. Sew
eral fruit stones were brought 10 the
surface. At some period in the worlds
history a grove OF trees Is supposed to
have occupied this subterranean spot,
and the great depth Of earth now COW
ering the Remains of the vegetation in.
dicates vast,lapse Of time since it
ilourished. =
A German scientist recommends
as an Efficient mesns Of protecting
wood against damp, acids and alkalies.
The wood is FIRST dried. and then GOV.
cred with a solution of one part of
melted paraliine in fix parts of pet 70
leum, ether or bisulphide of carbon. |
The solvents evaporate quickly, leav.
ing the parafiine in the pores of the
wood, Great care should be taken in
the use of the preparation, as all Of the
substances mentioned are especially in.
flammable.
A new process of obtaining stereo.
type plates for printing has been dis.
covered by NJ. Emile Jeanin. sculp.
tor of Paris, who proposes to employ
for that purpose the material known
as celluloid. The process of prepara-
ton takes only half an hour when the
matter is once in type, and the plates {
thus produced are remarkably adapt I
ed for working on cylinder presses run a
ming at a high speed, being very light, a
flexible and durable. In this last re-
'pect they are said to even surpass
metal plates.
AT recent Berlin bird show sever.
Al canaries were exhibited which at II
racted much attention on account Of p
he peculiar colors of their plumage. 7
Some were green. others red and ?,
ight brown, and Others of light gray A
int, while all differed more or less n
rom the light yellow of the common h
bird. These variations of color were ~
PRODUCED BY the daily use Of cayenne IN
lepper in the fiod of the birds. The n,
'ePper is given il small quantities at n,
irst, and the birds appear to like it. Al
The immediate effects are, however, .,
hut pleasing to the behclder, nj
Or the feathers soon begin TO fall, Civ m
ng hsbird ihs appearance of molting; ~
'ut in short time new feathers APP =,
ear, having the curious TINS observ. :,
a. =
IL is interesting TO note TO what ex- =,
ent the doctrines of evolution are
lught in our higher institutions of
'srning. In paper upon the "Crit. A
5 Of Evolution" in the May and June ha
umbers Of the .lmerican Naimalist, de
rof Lippineott says that at Harry tn
ID every professor whose departments to
re connected with biology such as to,
ray, Whitney, A. Agassiz, Hagen, ed
oodale, Shaler, Farlow and Faxon- in
an evolutionist, and mans physical he
ruelure they regard as no exception slo
the law. They are said to be the. vii
Is, and all conservative men. At ed.
'hn Hopkins University, which dol
ms to be the most advanced in the col
uniry, evolution is held and taught. me
tke University of Pennsylvania all mel
c biological professors are evolution cot
!s-Leidy, Allen, RoIhrock aud Par COZ
n. At Yale, Michigan. Brown