Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-06-10
Reported for the Grant County HERALD.
Popular Science Notes.

Reported for the Grant County HERALD.
Popular Science Notes.
Some wonderful relics of an an,
Gent race of people have recent,
been discovered in eastern New
York. A writer from that section
enumerates number of artic' es
among which we notice the follow.
ing: 4 number OF arrow heads, small
copper avis, sea shell adapted to
use as drinking vessel, several bone
avis, fragments of deer horn instru.
ments, a gouge made of bones neck.
lace or head dress composed of cop.
per and shell beads and many other
articles, all of which were unlike any
ever found in Indiaa burying grounds.
In one grave was found eighty.nine
arrow-heads.
A summer school of Biology will
be opened at Drury College, in
Springfield, Missouri, on July t,and
will continue about two months. The
chief means employed for carrying
on the work will be laboratory study.
lectures and excursions, and the stud
les will consist of Microscopy, verte.
brate and invertebrate zoology, cry
togramic and phuenogramic botany
and instructions in methods of teach
ing Elementary Science will be given.
With view to the protection of
the birds of the country, the French
Government has taken action, and
has enacted laws prohibiting the kill
ing of other than birds of passage,
and those only under certain limita-
ton. The law is much more strin-
gent that the so.called game laws in
this country, and is strictly enforced
against all offenders, no matter
how trivial the violation.
Prof. Tice is of the opinion that
about all of the so called cyclones,
which have prevailed to an unusual
extent this season, are storms of
electricity and entirely independent
of wind.
The Royal College of physicians,
at London, has offered a prize of
500 for the best essay on hydropho-
bia.
One of the newest inventions in
this country, and one of great prac.
teal value and good, Is the "Dampo-
scope" which is used for detecting
fire. damp and determining the guam.
tity of light carburetted hydrogen in
the air. It's construction is said to
be simple while its action is perfect
and accurate, the least trace of gas
beng indicated at once and minute.
ly by the instrument.
Scientists, from close observations,
are of the opinion that pines and 9th.
er needle-leaved trees have a strong.
er attraction for watery vapor than
other trees, and that those contain
ing resinous matter absorb much
more water and exhale it more rap.
idly than other species
Recent discoveries have developed
the fact that the ancient races of
Chaldeans and Babylonians made a
practical use of the moon, in the
keeping up of system of regular
observations, which showed that the
changes in the weather was due to
lunar influences.
Two hundred thousand years is a
long time, but according to Prof.
Nudge, man has been on the earth
fully that length of time. His calcu.
lations are based upon the rate at
which the delta of the Mississippi is
deposited.
A shower of meteoric dust, con-
tanning fragments of metallic iron, TO.
gether with organic particles, visited
Catania, in Sicily, recently, to the
amazement and wonder OF the inhab-
itants of that region
Two Of the trustees of the state of
Vermont University have offered
$3.50 in prizes to boys not over
seventeen years of age for the best
crop of pc atoes and corn on one
eighth of IN acre. A similar prac-
tice in other Of our States would
doubtless prove Of much benefit to
our agricultural interest.
A new fiber plant has been dis.
covered in Mexico, q species of cac.
tus, commonly called "pita", which
promises to add materially 10 the
resources of the country. The fibers
are strong and silky, many of tt en-
being fully 16 feet in length. Hand
kerchiefs recently made from this
fiber, were strong and extremely
beautiful, appearing more like silver
tissue than like lines. Millions OF
acres of this plant are said to be
growing wild in that country.
A test of Edison's new electric
railway at Menlow Park, New York
City, few days since, was most
gratifying in its results, to the in
ventor, and some thirty persons
who accompanied him upon the oc-
casion. Lit is anticipated that the
street and elevated railways of New
York will at no distant day be sue.
cessfully operated by electricity.
Tho "Zoogyroseope" is newly
invented instrument for taking In
stantsneous photographs of moving
objects, and has been found TO be
valuable in showing the various pc.
sitions of running horses, athletes,
etc.
A shower of meteoric dust con-
tanning fragments of metallic iron
together with organic particles,
visited Catania Sicily recently to
the smazement and ssronishment oil
the inhabitants of that region.
-. -
Negotiations are at present in
| prncress between tho Dominion