St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1881-08-27

upon a similar pIluClplc. IL is uduO oo
that all external air is excluded, the
oxygen for the combustion of the spirit
being contained within the lamp i'll
strong tank, while the products from
the combustion are allowed to escape
through series of valves opening Ill
water. The lamp has been successful
w tested under water and as safety
lamp in the midst Of explosive gases.
c. Rene, of Stettin, claims to have
discovered that if wood be exposed to
the action of heated current of pure
oxygen it becomes proof against mois-
ture and changes of temperature, and
Is especially adopted for the manufac-
ture of musical instruments.
The martyrs to science in Africa du-
ring the present century have been very
numerous. This fact is graphically
indicated on a recent map of Africa, by
NJ. NJ. Duveyrier and Cortambert, which
gives the name and date Of each explorer
in the locality where he died.
Recent geological explorations in
Russia are reported to show the exis-
tence in that empire Of phosphate de-
posits of sufficient extent to supply the
wants of all Europe for an indefinite
period.
The researches of Prof. Flower, the
we'll known English anatomist, show
some interesting results in relation to
the comparative sizes of the heads OF
different races Of people. The largest
normal skull he ever measured had
capacity of as much as 2,O75 CUBIC
centimeters the smallest, belonging
to an individual of the nearly extinct
people inhabiting central Ceylon, meas
ured only 960 cubic centimeters. The
largest average capacity of any human
head he has found belongs to a race OF
long, tlat-headed people on the west
coast Of Africa. Although Of small
stature, the Laplanders and Esquimaux
have very large skulls, the average
measurement of the latter being 1886.
The English skull, of lower grades,
measures 1, 542; the Japanese, 1856; the
Chinese, 1 ,424; the modern Italian: l. 75;
the ancient Egyptian, AGA the Hlndoo,
1906.
The following is a very simple and
pretty electrical experiment: A small
box of pasteboard is closed with lid
of fine glass, to the upper surface OF
which cOllodion is several times ap-
plied-care being taken not to apply
sufficiently to render the glass Opaque.
Insect forms, Of sponge or cotton, are
placed in the box, and move about in a
curious manner when the lid of the box
is rubbed with dry fingers, in dry
weather.
A Vienna chemist has produced a
new coloring matter on silk, which is a
nice blue by day and a beautiful pink
by artificial light. The alcoholic solu-
ton of this color is dark violet in a
transparent, but red in direct light.
An official publication of the German
post Office contains report on the dis
turbances in Geographic communication
caused last August by display Of the
aurora borealis. It is we'll known that
both storms and the aurora borealis
disturb the electric currents passing
over telegraphic cables, but recent ex
perience seems to prove that the dis
turbing influence of storms chiefly
affects short lines, while the longer
lines are more liable to be affected by
the northern lights. There was strong
disturbance of the latter kind from the
18th to the 14th of August, 1890. 1t
seems to have manifested itself through
out the greater portion Of the northern
section of the eastern hemisphere, send
ing off, however, southerly stream in
the direction of Mozambique, which
reached to Natal. 1t does not appear
that the Western Continent was affected
The general features Of the disturbance
consisted in manifestations Of the pres
ence Of strange currents {" earth cur
rents" as they are called) of fuctuating
intensity. the duration and fluctuations
varying in different localities, and the
direction Of the currents changing
frequently.
Concerning the growth of third set
Of teeth, Prof. Owen says: "Teeth are
organs that, as rule, have a term Of
existence more limited than that of the
organism Of which they form a part.
In many Of the lower vertebrates they
are shed very soon after they are COM
pleted and in use, and are as quickly
replaced by others. In the mammalia,