The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-08-04
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

CARRIER-ProEoSs often exhibit re-
markable love Of music, and they are
exceedingly fond OF aromatic odors.
WHENEVER any one Of q herd Of hye-
mas, in their native state, is wounded its
companions tear it to pieces and devour
IL.
JKLLY-FIsHEs can live cut in two for
an indefinite period. Halves Of them
will swim along as if nothing had hap
pened.
THERE is q pair Of scales in the New
York Assay Office of kind so delicate
that, when brought TO q balance with
two pieces Of paper Of equal size in the
pans, the mere writing Of name with
lead pencil on one Of the pieces of
paper will add enough weight to the
paper 10 turn the scales in its favor.
WHEN lion is reused he never goes
course, receding with a slow, proud mo-
ton, going from one side to the other,
and bounding rather than running
native forest his age exceeds that of
man. When q lioness fears lest her re-
treat may be discovered she often hides
her tracks by brushing them out with
her tail.
IT is said that the bats Of Java seldom
fail TO attack such persons as lie in the
open air with their extremities exposed |;
and they are 80 dexterous in this opera
ton that they can insinuate their acule-
ated tongue into q vein, and continue
TO draw the blood without being per-
ceived and that during all the time
they are engaged, they agitate the air
with their wings in so pleasing manner
rs 10 throw the sufferer into q sounder
sleep than he was before.
THE common flea lives by sucking the
blood of man, and of some species of
quadrupeds and birds. 1t abounds par
ticularly in the nests of poultry,
pigeons and swallows, and wherever
sand and dust accumulate in the chinks
OF floors It is to be found also plentiful
in beds, wherever cleanliness is neglect
ed. F1eas undergo q complete meta
morphosis. The female lays about a
dozen eggs Of q white color, and slightly
viscous. The Larvae is lively little
worm, at first white, afterward reddish,
and destitute Of feet.
THERE are at present in the Old
World and in the New World more than
100, 900 railway locomotives. Their to-
tai force In equal to 10000, 900 horse
power, and all the other steam engines
on the globe are estimated ut 46, 000, 900
horsepower. The technical horse
power," ]" however, is really equal to three
average horses, and each horse to about
seven men, the aggregate power, there
fore, of all the engines being vastly
more than the effective force of all the
human workers living. Four-ftfths of
the steam engines now at work have
been made within quarter Of century
q So
SOME Of the washing waters of Paris,
which were formerly run into the sewers,
are now collected in casks, and, the suds
being subjected to chemical treatment, the
fatty matters are being manufactured
into toilet soap, made fragrant by the
addition of oil Of rose. According to
this process q little sulphuric acid is
added to the soap water obtained from
washing linen, the whole is then stirred
mp, and the fatty matter is allowed to
stand for a few hours, when, on its col
lecting upon the surface of the liquid, it
is gathered in casks. Instead of sui
phuric acid, sulphate of iron or ferru-
ginous sulphate of alumina may be en-
ployed, by the action of which the sepa-
ration Of the fatty matter is obtained,
being precipitated in the form of an in
soluble soap. After the action Of these
metallic salts the operation may be ter
minated by the addition of milk of lime.