The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1880-09-16
SCIENTIFIC NOTES.

The growth of the coral reefs, accord
ing to large amount of observations, is
about six inches in a century.
The experimental works for the tun-
mel between Dover and Calais are still
going on. A second shaft is to be sunk.
GUNpowDER in contact with metals is
found to undergo considerable decompo-
sition in the course of years, by which
change its power is very much dimin-
shed.
CARBoNIo acid in liquid form has
been found in the pores of the Uralian
amethyst. The pressure which must
have been exerted to liquify the carbolic
acid is estimated at seventy-three atmos-
pheres.
OAKLAND, CAL, the growing rival Of
San Francisco, has $4,000 population,
against 10000 ten years ago, and the
county of Alameda, Of which Oakland is
the chief place, has $1,000, against a.
237 in 1870.
A SPONGE dipped in wine and placed
in saucer whose bottom is covered with
a small quantity of water, will not color
the water for quarter or half an hour,
unless the wine is adulterated, when it
will begin to color it at once.
The German African Society has Mt
present not less than six different expo.
ditions engaged in exploring Central
Africa Add to this the work being per
formed by others in the same field, and
it may well seem that the clark CONT
nent' must soon give up its secrets.
Two eggs of the extinct great aux were
recently sold by auction III Edinburgh,
one at Gl00 and the other at 102 guineas.
The latter is probably the largest sum
ever paid for single egg, with the ex-
ception of that of the moa, single
specimen of which was sold at the same
place in 1865 for G2O0.
AMONG the animals inhabiting the bot
tom of the Caspian Sea are found several
species having well-developed organs Of
sight. This is taken as an indication
that even at great depths light is not
completely absorbed, as in total darkness
the eyes of animals are reduced to rudi-
mentary form.
Ir has been estimated that single
pair of CyciOps quadricOrniS, micro
scopic crustacean, will produce a prog
cny numbering 4,500,O0 1000 in the
course of six months. This is, however,
but one of the many marvels which the
microscope has shown in the unseen
world around us.
The AZTEC CALENDAR SToNE.-One OF
the most remarkable of these antiquities
is q fac Sin,iie of the stone representing
the calendar of the Aztecs. 1t was dis
covered in 1890 near the foundation Of
the Cathedral in the City of Mexico. 1t
is simply impossible to give an adequate
description of the numerous bits in this
rare and wonderful collection.
The mixture used by Mr.. Hannay in
the production of his first artificial dia-
monds consisted of ninety per cent. OF
rectifed bone oil, ten per cent Of paraflin
spirit, and four grams of lithium. These
substances were placed III tube four
inches in diameter with bore of half an
inch, and after the open end had been
securely welded up the tube was exposed
to red heat for fourteen hours
EXPERIMENTS have proved that wooden
posts put in the ground in the same posi-
ton as that in which they grew, top up
wards, will become rotten several year
sooner than they would if placed toy
downwards in the soil. The theory il
that the capillary tubes in the tree are
adjusted az to oppose the rising moisture
when the wood is inverted.
c. Jnu,, I ,,pua,u boc ,,,ot ,r,yap ~
the LinnHan Society another installment
of results of the observations made on
his ants. One question that he has
sought to determine is whether these in
sects have language or means OF COM
munication. A dead bluebottle fly was
pinned down, and the movements of m
ant with reference to i Were watched.
At first the ant tried to remove the fly,
but was unable to do so. 1t then went
home and soon reappeared leading I
body of re-enforcements. The latter
seemed somewhat incrcdulous, and after
while turned back. The first ant
however, again approached his doubling
comrades and succeeded in persuadine
them to go and help him with the fly.
The friends were undoubtedly brought
out by the first ant and this could only
have been done through some means Of
communication. Several experiments
were made with different species Of ants
aAd under varied circumstances The
results indicate, in the opinion of the OBJ
,erver, that ants possess something APP
preaching language, and have the power
of summoning theirfriends to help them.
Sir John further experimental with the
view of testing the recognition OF rela-
tions among these insects. Young ants,
Just having reached maturity, were in
troduced into the nest among old ants.
The latter had never before seen the
former, yet in every case they recog
nizcd them as belonging to the commu'
EitY.