The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-01-06
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

A German scientist recommends naraABno =,
an efhcient means Of protecting wood against
damp, ACIDS and alkaies. The wood is first well
dried, and then covered with a solution of one
part OF melted parafine in six parts Of petroleum
ether or blsulphide Of carbon. The solyents evan
orate quickly, leaving the parafiine in the pores
OF the wood. Great care should be taken in the
use OF the preparation as all of the substances
mentioned are especially lnhammable.
The next United States Congress will act on a
BILL reported in the last Congress, In support Of
an International Commission to agree upon
standard tests for colOr-bindness and standard
requirements for visual power In nAvies and
merchant marines.
Prof. Palmieri considers 1t proven that great
earthquakes are always preceded by season Of
preliminary earth tremblings. He believes tha I,
by means OF Geographically connected stations
for observing these tremblings 1t would be posi-.
Die to foretell earthquakes just az storms are now
foretoId' and to issue warnings to all threatened
districts three days in advance.
During recent boring for water In the Win.
mera district Victoria, a tree was passed through
for distance Of six feet at a depth of $50 feet.
Several fruit stones were brought to the surface.
AT some period in the worlds history a grove Of
trees is supposed to have occupied this subterra.
mean spot and the great depth Of earth now GOV.
ering the remains Of the vegetation indicates a
vast lapse of time since 1t fOurlshed.
A French sdvdnt has made careful compare.
tive analysis Of the statistical tables OF suicides
for France and Sweden, lie finds that they es-
tablish two laws viz: That widowers commit
suicide more frequently than married men; and
that the existence and presence OF children in
the house diminlshes the inclination to suicide.
both In men and in women
Prof, Duiour Of Paris, has devised thermomet-
ric apparatus which is so sensitive that II will
denoe-by detection Of the index needle of
two inches-the change Of temperature caused
by the entrance Of person into the room where
1t is placed.
I'll interesting to note to what extent the doc.
trines Of evolution are taught in our higher in.
shtutions Of learning In a paper npon the
Critics Of Evolution" in the May and June mum.
bers Of the american Naturalist, Prof. LippIncott
says that at Harvard every professor whose de.
partments are connected with blology-such as
Gray Whitney A. Agassiz Hagen, Goodale, sha.
Ter, Fsrlow, and Faxon-is an evolutlonist, and
mans physical structure they regard as no ex.
ception to the law. They are said to be theists,
and all conservative men. At John Hopkins
University, which aims to be the most advanced
In the country, evolution 10 held and taught In
the University Of Pennsylvania all the biological
professors are evolution ists-Leidy, Allen, Ro.
throck and Parker. At Yale, Michigan, Brown,
Cornell, Dartmouth Bowdoin and Princeton
Universities, the biological professors are In the
same category, Wherever there is a working
naturalist he is sure to be- almost without ex.
| ception, an evolutionist.
new process of obtaining stereotype plates for
printing has been discovered by NJ. Emile Jeanin,
I a sculptor Of Paris, who proposes to employ for
that purpose the material known as celluloid
The process Of preparation takes only half an
hour, when the matter is once in type, and the
| plates thus produced are remarkably adapted
for working on cvlinder presses running at q
| high speed, being very light, flexible and dura-
BILE. In this last respect they are said to even
surpass metal plates.
Alta recent Berlin bird show several canaries
were exhibited which attracted much attention
on account of the peculiar eolors of their plumage
Some were green, others red and light brown, ,
and others of a soft gray tint, while all differed
more or less from the light yellow Of the com.
mon bird. These variations of color were pro.
duced by the daily use Of cayenne pepper in the
food Of the birds. The pepper is given in small
quantities at first and the birds appear to like it,
The immediate effects are, however, anything
but pleasing tothe beholder, for the feathers soon
begin to fall, giving the bird the appearance Of
molting; but in a short time new feathers appear,
having the curious tints observed.