Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-04-12
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

iucurving ridges efectually prevent
ing the escape of any creeping in
sects which may enter. In order to
safely reach the prisoners thus entrapped
a species of black ant ingeniously perfo-
rates the stalk of the plant and tunnels
upward to the pitcer, providing IN this
manner highway by means of which
ready access is had to a sumptuous fare
Of dead and decaying insects.
The hats of natives of British Colum-
bia are adorned with figures resembling
tattoo marks. DR.. Daily has discovered
that these marks all have a defnate
meaning, being, IN fact, records of events
which have taken place in the lives Of
the wearers. Each individual thus dis
plays his history upon his head.
An estimate has lately been made by
Herr Salzer placing the number of optic
nerve-ibers at about 436,O00, and the
number of retinal cones at 3, 100000, in
each human eye.
M. Raoul Pictet suggests the use of
great parabolic mirror thirty-6ve feet in
diameter as means of concentrating the
suns rays and securing degree of heat
far greater than any ever produced arti-
6cially. He suspects certain substances
now considered as elementary to be COM
pounds, and he believes they may be
divided into their elements by the ap-
plication of the intense heat IN the mir
ror's focus.
The idea was long prevalent that the
living bodies of human beings and ami
mails might, under certain circumstances,
take fire spontaneously and be more or
less completely consumed. Alleged
cases of this kind were even placed on
record. The utter impossibility Of any
such result was demonstrated by Liebig,
who showed that no amount of fat, alco-
hol or PHOSPHORUS which a living body
could possible contain would make it
combustible.
A remarkable discovery was lately
made in the region of the Pyrenees. In
cave of the paleolithic or ''old stone
period there were found teeth of the
cave-bear adorned with drawings. some
of which represent human beings covered
with long hair. These rude pictures
must date many thousand years before
the dawn of historic times.
1t has been claimed by several writers
that more than one of the so-called San
nual rings" of trees may be formed in 6
single season, but the question has never
been conclusively settled. The observa
tions of Mr.. L. Kny, in England las
year seem to show that two rings may
be formed in the small branches of trees
during season, but that the interrup
nion of growth in summer causing tht
division of these is too slight to extend
to the trunks. Consequently, it may b.
considered that the number of concentri'
rings of wood in the trunks of trees rep
resents very nearly their actual age il
years.
A peculiar substance has been found
by Prof. A. Scacchi in the lava whicl
issued from Vesuvius during the yea
1881. He supposes it to be new met
al, and gives it the name vesbium.
An analysis has been made of the sol
of cemetery in which no interment ha
been made for thirty years, and tn
products of animal decomposition ar
found to be still present.
A small quantity of the essential OF
of aloes was recently exhibited in Edin
burgh. It is believed to be the onl
specimen in the world. The oil exist
only in very minute quantity in aloes
but two fluid drachms having been OF
, tanned from five hundred pounds 9
aloes.
, Some two years since. according to
D foreign medical report, girl of sever
teen received severe fright, whic
within few days thereafter resulted i
+ total loss of her hair. None has grow
!. since, and she remains completed
bald.
q A process has been patented in Ge
+ many whereby fur-like material
: produced from feathers in combinatio
with other textile substances. The proc
uct can be used for a variety of purpose
such as rugs, carpets, and some article
It of clothing. Feathers otherwise valu
: less can be utilized by this means.
e In Prussia one persons in every fol-
= hundred and fifty is insane. A Berli
% scientist attributes this large proportic
II to intemperence among the lower clas
# and to educational cramming in ear
'r years among others.
e. Fragments of papyri are still beir
d found in Egypt, some of them bearil
ID epistles in Greek characters.
MONNERMENT TEW ADUM.
n