The river press., 1881-02-23
QUIEN SABE,

An easy method for showing whether
butter is adulterated with beef-fat has been
submitted by Hagar He saturates cotton
WICK with suspected sample, which is first
melted. He then lights the wick, and per-
mits it to burn for about two minutes AT
the end of that time, when the wick is ex-
tinguished, an odor like that given off by q
tallow candle, when its flame is blown out, is
readily perceived, if the butter is artificial.
The photographic Neaos describes de-
tectlve camera, the invention Of Mr.. Bolas
1t is like shoeblack's block, and may be
slung over the shoulder with 9 strap. It car
rles gelatine plates already IN position, and q
lens that is always in focus for any distance
from twenty to thirty feet. It may be drop
ped in the street any time the owner sees
group he wants picture Of When it reaches
the ground bulb is squeezed and the expo
sure is made.
Z. Zacchini submitted paper lately to
the French Academy Of Sciences on the solar
observations at the royal observatory of the
Roman College during the third quarter of
1880. The number Of spots was double that
OF the preceding quarter, and there was
hardly day without them. The number of
facula in September was extraordinary, II
the case Of protuberances, there was max
imum in each hemisphere between so and go
degrees, and another between 90 and 40 de-
grees.
"A matchmaker at Copenhagen is report
eel to have made watch which requires no
winding up, inasmuch as it performs that
work itself by means of an electric current.
An electromagnetic fixed inside the watch
keeps the spring perpetually in a state of ten
sion. 10 keep the watch in running order
all that is necessary is to preserve the battery
in proper working condition, for which pur-
pose one or two inspections year are said
to suffice.
The ruins of once magnificent bathing
establishment, covered over by more than
thirty feet OF ashes and lava, have been dis
covered by Prof. Giuseppe Now, near Her
culaneum. From all descriptions they ap-
pear to suEpass anything Of similar nature
hitherto excavated, either at Herculaneum or |
at Pompeii. The sculptured fountains and
tanks are Of oriental granite, the floors are Of
colored glass mosaic, and the walls of the
buildings are richly adorned with paintings
and stucco work.
DR.. Carl Vogt divides the fauna on the
globe into four different regions, which were
separated from each other at different per-
iods: l. The Australian region, which be-
came independent at q very early PERIOD and
has been separated from the other continents
at least since the commencement of the ter
tiary period, and undoubtedly before the
appearance Of the placental mammals. 2.
The Madagascar region, which remained iso-
lated since the appearance Of the lower
eocene strata. 3. The old world region. a.
The new world region, which was separated
during the eocene and miocene periods, but
were connected later during the pliocene and
postpliocene periods by stretches of land over
which migrations could take place. During
the eocene and miocene periods, therefore.
the animal mgrations were limited, jast as at
present, by the existence Of two oceans, and
could only take place upon the surface Of the
continents chiefly in the direction Of the
x6Eak |