Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-04-14
CURIOUS, USEFUL AND SCIENTIFIC
MOON PHOTOGRAPHS.

MOON PHOTOGRAPHS.
Mr.. George Berwick has taken series
of photographs of the moon on very sen
sitive plates-the bromo-gelatine. One
of the plates shows three well defined
rings round the moon. Whether the
rings are due to cosmical, atmospheric,
chemical OF optical causes is not yet de-
termined.
THE LIFE OF A TOAD.
M. ,Seguin, about 1850, placed several
toads in an equal number OF vessels and
enclosed them with plaster of Paris
After an interval of several years the YES
sells were opened, and one of the impris-
oned toads was found still living, al
though the extremely hard cement had
become exactly moulded. on the animal,
leaving no vacant place between them
On liberation the creature crept out into
the Light of day.
FUNGI.
The fungi, like animals, live upon or
ganic food, consisting of complicated
combinations of carbon, which they re-
ceive from other organisms and assimi-
late. They inhale oxygen, and give out
carbonic acid like animals. They also
never torn leaf-green, or chlorophyll,
which is SO characteristic of most other
plants. In like manner they never pro-
duce starch. Hence many eminent bot
anists have repeatedly proposed to re-
move the fungi completely out Of the
vegetable kingdom, and establish one be
tween that of animals and plants.
SCIENTIFIC JEALOUSY.
The Journal of Science wisely OBJ
serves that science is sometimes her own
prosecutor Men who have gained q
high position in universities and acade-
mics, whether legitimately or otherwise,
are often actuated by a jealousy very
similar to that among ecclesiastics. They
establish a certain scientific orthodoxy,
based often on mere conjecture and as
sertion, and seek to frown down and ST.
lence the man who calls in question one
of their dogmas, or discovers a truth
they have overlooked. The dread of
truth, the jealousy of discovery, is not
confined to the holy inquisition, and no
disestablishment of churches, no secular
ization of schools and colleges, not even
the suppression of every religion. were
such step possible, would put an end to
its action.
vEsBIUM-A NEW METAL.
Professor A. Scacchi, who has been
for some time engaged in chemical in
vestigation of the lava which issued from
Vesuvius in 1913, has recently made an
interesting communication to the ROYAL
Academy of Sciences at Naples, with re-
gard to the probable presence in those
deposits of new metal. The material
he has operated upon consists of deli
cate yellow demonstrations found in the
crevices of the lava. This has been
named by him Vesbine, while the sup
posed new metal he has termed Vesbium.
AS Professor Scacchi has only succeeded
In lsolating about three grammes of yes
bic acid, he is not absolutely certain of
the existence of the new element, al
though all the indications point to it.
The supposed metal appears to be allied
to vanadium or molybdenum.
IMITATION STAINED GLASS.
A few years ago stained glass windows
were rare in this country, even in churches,
except among the ambitious and costly
of those of two or three denominations.
Now ornamental windows are compare
lively plenty, not only in churches, but
In other public and private buildings,
and would be more common in ordinary
dwellings, were the cost within the scope
Oh OruiuaTy purses.
The growing taste for this sort of color
decoration can not fail to be materially
advanced by the cheap and very success
full imitation of stained glass effects now
coming into use. Thin sheets of silk
paper are printed with brilliant oil col
ors, IN varied artistic patterns; and when
pasted upon common glass windows
they produce all the brilliant effects of
costly colored glass. The color sheets
can be applied without skilled labor, and
shows great advance in decorative
effects over ordinary curtain shades or
blinds.
ELECTRICITY AS MOTOR
The Berlin VoLks Zeituag announces
the probable introduction of electricity
as motive power In the German capital.
Only one difficulty is said to stand be-
tween the promoters and success-that
of completely insulating the axles of the
carriages, which must be entirely free
from communication with any metallic
body. The new machines will, it is said,
will be much cheaper than horse and
steam power. The firm which has ac-
suised the ownership of the invention is