The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1880-12-14

"A German Scientist recommends par
afiDe as an efficient means Of prot Getting
wood against damp, acids aud alkalieA.
The wood is FIRST well dried, and then
covered with q solution of one part of
melted parafine in six parts of petrole-
um, ether or bi-sulphide of carbon. The
solvents evaporate quickly, leaving the
paraf6ne in the pores of the wood.
Great care SHOULD be :aken in the use of
the preparation, as all the substances
mentioned are especially inhammable.
The next United States Congress
will act on bill reported in the last Con-
gress, in support ofan International Com
mission to agree upon standard tests for
color blindness and standard requirements
for visual power in navies and merchant
marines.
Prof. Palmieri considers it proven
that great earthquakes are always pre-
ceded by a season of preliminary earth
trembtings. He believes that bv means
of Geographically connected stations for
observing these tremblings it would be
possible TO foretell earthquakes just as
storms are now foretold, and 10 issue
warnings 10 all threatened districts three
days in advance.
During a recent boring for water in
the Wimmera district, Victoria, q tree
was passed through for distance of six
feet at depth of ESQ feet. Several fruit
stones were brought to the surface. At
some period in the worlds history grove
of trees is supposed to have occupied this
subterranean spot, and the great depth of
earth now covering the remains of the
vegetation indicates vast lapse of time
since it fourished.
"A French sou0nt has made a careful
comparative analysis of the statistical
tables of suicides for France and Sweden.
He finds that they establish two laws,
viz. that widowers commit suicide more
frequently than married men; and that
the existence and presence Of children in
the house diminishes the inclination to
suicide both in men and in women.
Prof Dufour, of Paris, has devised .
thermometric apparatus which is so sensi-
tive that it will denote-by q DETECTION
of the index needle of two inches-the
change of temperature caused by the en-
trance of person into the room where it
is placed
1t is interesting to noSe 20 what ex-
tent the doctrines of evolution are taught
in our higher institutions OF learning. In
paper upon the "Critics Of Evolution"
in the May and June numbers of the
Americon Natsraliss, Prof Lippincott
says that at Harvard every professor
whose departments are connected with
biology-such as Gray, Whitney, A. Ag-
assiz, Hagen, Goodale, Shaler, Farlow and
Faxon-is an evolutionist, and mans
physical structure they regard as no ex-
ception to the law. They are said to be
tbeists and all conservative men. At
Johns Hopkins University, which aims TO
be the most advanced in the country,
evoln.ion is held and taught. In the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania, all the biological
professors are eyolutionists- -Leidy, Allen,
Rothrock and Parker. At Yale, Michi-
gan, Brown, Cornell. Dartmouth, Bow
doin and Princeton Universities, the bio
logical professors are in the same cate
CORY. Wherever there is q working
naturalist, he is sure 70 be, almost without
exception, an evolutionist.
"A new process Of obtaining stereo1
type plates for printing has been diseOv-
cred by II. Emile Jeanin, o sculptor Of
Paris, who proposes to employ for that
purpose the material known - cell0loid.
The process Of preparation takes only
half An hour, when the matter 10 once in
type, and The plates TINS pFodoced are
remarkably adapted for working on cylin-
der presses rusning at . high speed, being
very light. flexible and durable. In this
last respect they are said 70 even surpsss
metal plates. .a
.---At recent Berlin bird show several
eanariss were exhibited which attracted
muuh aftsutien on seooant Of the pecu-
liar solors Of their pluunage. Some were
green, othsss rod and light brown. and
Sthsnisf . son aDd gray tint, wh1is al
diGsEsd mors o. lsss ffum ths llzht yellow
d She sommon bird. These vaniatiens a
soies we're ppodnssd By The daily uss ol
esysuns Psppsr n shs food ss The biFdas
Ths psPper b gives IN ali quautitiss
at frs md shs bisds aPpsF % LIE q
Thsimmsdisss slIssts ars howsvss, any-
thisg - Pleaaisg - - bsholdsF, Cor
- fsslhers spon hagip - g. giving ths
~ - slpsassnss q ncalaing; bat .