The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1880-11-27
lolr,losonbalf Gl)icf.
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SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


thunder has been heard III Iceland IN
only twenty-tllree hours during the last
fourteen years.
An observatory, with four telescopes,
was lately opened IN Paris for the free
use of the public. It has room for
lniorescopical observations during the
daytime.
The electric light proves to be very
effective as an insect trap. Flies and
moths are attracted to it from great
distance, and flying into the arc, are
quickly killed.
m. Roulaire has presented to the
French Academy the results Of his recent
Algerian survey. He believes that al
inland sen OF $50 miles in length may be
GREETED without serious difficulty.
-B.oodstone is . variety OF silica
-speckled with red, the spots having some
resemblance to blood. In the Louvre, at
Paris, d bust made Of this stone has the
SPOTS in such position that they actually
rpresent drops of blood.
M. de Lesseps states that the opening
of the snez Canal has increased the rain
fallin tho surrounding country to a re-
1narkable extent Previous to 1870, rain
fsll only about once year, while it now
falls at least twice a month.
Prof. Dnfour, of Paris, has devised a
thermomctric apparatus, which is SO sem
sitive that it will denote-by DETECTION
of the index needle Of two inehes-the
change Of temperature caused by the en-
trance of i person into the room where it
is placed.
The next United States Congress. will
act on a bill, reported in the last Con-
gress, in support Of. Gokoak1l
for color.s1f'd Kid MIMI aqedhirb5
me.sllst nfrines. !
A successful experiment has been
made at Cologne with the electric light
i'a' jgst tass' sas
ts;,sa "A = most nos 4 g. &, &
.ncnse odifee weR lighted to the very
toY,nfgnss' .IHT's -
-Meaieal Investigation Hhds shawn
,tkht some Of the -oecupatiatas for, child
ron Mt kiade1garteaf SCHOOLS are calcn-
lated in injuro theieyesight. Among
these are the pricfing Of holes over 4
tracing on paper, arall ling brightcolored
band Of papek, ami sewing Inc silk up
on tracings. ~
1t is surprising how quickly theavee
citation Of ma1ry countries settled by aEu-
ra,aabs hts been modified. "A 6erhlan1
writer, describing the flora Of Chill south
OF tho nriss<,, s ST. thats:shs
scenery between tic Rio Buena and its
winding afauents ,feminds fhinl very.
.strQnglyes Of home. In the park like
prairies, associated with deciduous
sbeeehes;-@rre numerous scattered apple
trees, originally introduced from Europe.
The apple tree has spread from Va1divia
to Osorno, and even crossed the Andes
into northwestern Patagonia, and spread
thence eastward. Indeed, it has become
80 widely distributed and SO general, that
the Indians from the distant regions of
the Argentine rivers, Rio Negro and Rio
Colorado, are called Manzaneros or apple
Indians. :
Hans Buchner, a skilful German cx-
perimenter, announces discovery of
great interest and Importance i'll its bear
ing upon the theory Of evolution. He
has succeeded in transforming one kind
of microscopic fungi, which is danger
Gus agent Of disease, into another kind Of
fungi which is perfectly harmless. This
remarkable result was reached BIZ con-
tinnous treatment Of the fungi for six
months, during which time 1900 genera
tions were produced. He was through
this process enabled to transform the bac-
terra which cause milzbrand," the
dreaded inflammation of the spleen, into
the "heupilze," or harmless fungi ofhay,
and cice rersa. He also produced an organ
ism hitherto unknown, which forms a
connecting link between the above named
fungi.
The Investigations of Herr Weith
have shown that of various. bodies of
,wator, under otherwise similar conditions,
that one has the greatest quantity of fish
which contains the most dissolved bicar-
Donate of lime. A simple explanation OF
this seemingly strange fact is given. The
simple carbonate of lime is widely dis
trbnted on the bottoms Of lakes, but, be-
ing insoluble is not taken up by the wa
ter. IT. however, the water contains an
abundance Of carbonic acid-which is
produced, Of course, by animals in rcspi-
ratinn-this transforms tie carbonate
into the bicarbonate, which readily dis
solves in water. 1t appears, therefore
that, by sure chemical analysis, one
may with considerable probability esti-
mate the quantity of fish in body OF
water; and conversely, Herr Weith has
often been able to give a remarkably ac-
cnrate statement Of the chemical compo-
sition of a body Of wsarsanlpasa q tLe
quantity Of fish contained in it. -
.nYEfesE.1 y
ofthe Worlds Dispcnsary Medical Associ-
alton Of Buffalo, ofw1fch Or. r. V. Pierce
is president, consisting Of Hsculapius, the