The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-06-19
Scientific Miscellany,

- ~ASssAAy
vast volcanic craters covering its sur
fsce, bat it has long been believed that
all changes in its form due to cooling
from q molten mass ceased ages ago,
leaving our satellite cold, dead world.
Recent observations, however, have
shown groat black crater, over three
miles in diameter, which was never
seen prior to 1876. As many very minute
features in the same vicinity were map
ped by careful observers before that
time, it can hardly be supposed that the
existence Of SO large an object cosld
have escaped notice. The conclusion is
therefore drawn that the crater was
formed during the year 1876 or 1877.
This would seem to indicate that the
moons internal fires are not yet COM
pletely extinguished, and it is possible
that some day we may witness the inter-
esting spectacle of an active lunar vol
canO.
Five entombed skeletons have been
discovered in Switzerland, which, from
the absence of metal ornaments and
other indications, are supposed to belong
to an age prior to that of bronze.
DIR. Schmidt has proven by expert
ment that sponges may be grown artifi-
cially. A sponge is cut into small pieces,
which are fastened to pile and i'm
mersed in the sea, where they rapidly
grow into perfect sponges. The system
has been adopted by the Austrian Gov
ernment, and is being carried ont on tho
Dalmatian coast.
Attention has been called to the ex-
istence of large apiaries in crowded
quarter of Paris. From sugar-refineries
in the vicinity the bees secure an abun-
dant supply of sweets, making the hives
a profitable investment to their owners.
"A correspondent of q T;,sin.,iau
journal records an instance --of the self
poisoning of a snake. The reptile being
pinned to the ground by forke,l stick
instantly buried its fangs in its owA
body. Its coils around the stick quickly
relaxed and in less than three minutes
tho snake was dead from the effects of
its venom.
-Drs. De La Rue and Muller have de-
termined the height at which the aurora
borealis has its greatest brilliancy to be
about 80 miles, when it should he yisi-
bic to distance of nearly 600 miles, At
q height Of 81 miles the light will be
pale and faint, and 1874 miles above tho
earth's surface no electric discharge can
take place to produce the phenomenon.
They conclude that the aurora may oc-
! cur at times at an altitude Of II few
thousand feet.
I German manufacturers have found
another use for paper. They make stoves
of that material, in which the fire blazes
cheefully without the slightest injury to
the paper enclosing it.
The present centre Of Interest to Eu-
glish geologists is newly discovered
fossil forest in an Oldl,am quarry.
About a dozen trees have been found,
some Of them over two feet in diameter.
| Near their roots arc numerous impress
sions of ferns and other plants. It is con-
sidered somewhat remarkable that, al
though the trees belong to the middle
coal-measnre period, no coal las been
found near them.
Amazed the other day at the rapid
growth Of fungus, q botanist calculated
that it had developed 10, 100000 cells in
one day, or 116 cells u second. Prof.
Gray, however, cites an instance where
century plant formed 2, 600, 900, 900 cells
in twenty-fonr hours, or23l ,4sl !, ,second.
1t is estimated that 70 years and
81 100000 will lie required to complete
the excavations ut Pompeii.
According to the generally accepted
theory, what we call light is impression
produced upon the retina by the wave
like motion Of particles of matter. The
lengths of these und,tla.ions have been
measured, and it is shown that :s6,9ls
waves of red light, or 64,63l wayes of
violet light, placed end to end, are re-
quired to make q single inch. From the
velocity of light it has been proved that
more than $50 millions Of millions of
these minnie waves flow into the eve
end dash against the retina in each seq
ond of time
The animal king of the world is
Hartmann, of Berlin, from whose great
gardens come most of the Wild BEASTS
exhibited in this country, His collectors
are mainly yonng geological stndents nr
trained hunters; aud they secure for
him the animals of all conntries-wlich
afterward appear in numerous '' greatest
shows on EARTH"
"A submarine volcanic eruption was
lately observed near Corsica. 1t lasted
about an hour, producing much agita-
ton OF the sea, while the air became
charged with snlphnrous vapor.
An old milestone, f1e and half
feet i'll diameter and seven inches thick,
with central hole eleven inches in
diameter, was left in an English orchard
ma'.y years ago In 1872 flberf-tree
sprouted from the earth ut the bottom OF
the hole, and gradually increased in siz.,
from year to year until. in 1868, it was
found that tho trre had completely filed
the hole and actually lifted the sion.