Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-01-06
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SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

A German scientist recommends parafiine as
an efficient means of protecting wood against
damp acids and alkalies. The wood is first
we'll dried, and then covered with solution OF
one part of melted paraffine in six parts OF
ether or hisulphide of carbon. The solvents
evap0rate quickly, leaving the paratine in the
wood. Great care should be taken in the nse
of the preparation, as all the substances men
toned are especially intlammable.
The next United States Congress will act
Oh bill reported in the last Congress, in sup
port of an International Commission to agree
upon standard tests for color-bindness anC
standard requirements for visual power in ma
vieS and merchant marines.
Prof. Palmieri considers it proven that great
earthquakes are always preceded by season
of preliminary earth tremblings. He believes
that by means of GEOGRAPHICALLY connected sta
tions for observing these tremblings, it would
be possible to foretell earthquakes, just as
storms are now fOretold, and to issue warn
ing to all threatened districts three days il
advance.
During a recent boring for water in the
Wimera district, Victoria, a tree was passed
through for distance of six feet at depth OF
$50 feet Several fruit stones were brough,
to the surface At some period in the worlds
history Il grove of trees is supposed to have oc
cupied this Subterranean spot, and the great
depth of earth now covering the remains OF
the vegetation indicates Il vast lapse OF time
since it hourislled.
A French Sdrdnt has made a careful compar
ative analysis of the statistical tables OF sui
cides for France and Sweden. He finds that
they establish two laws, viz. that WldoWeT
commit suicide more frequently than married
nd fl,,ffh ha
children in the house diminish the inclination
to suicide. both in men and in women.
Prof. Dufour, of Paris, has devised ther
mometric apparatus which is so sensitive thai
it will denOte-by detection of the index
needle of two inches-the change OF telnpera
ture caused by the entrance OF a person into
the room where it is placed.
1t is interesting to note to what extent The
doctrines of evolution are taught in our high
er institutions of learning. In a paper upon
the "Critics of Evolution'' in the May and
June numbers of the -imerican Ndtnutia
Prof. Lippincott says that at Harvard every
professor whose departments are connected
with biology-Such as Gray whitney, A
Agassiz, Hagen. GOodale, Shaler, FaroW, ano
Faxon-is an evolutioniSt, and mans plysl
cal structure they regard lis no exception tC
the law. They are said to be theists and al
CONSERVATIVE lllcll. Az ootiiio iioPhii' SH.'
sity. which aims to be the most advanced IL
the country, evolution is held and taught. LII
the University of Pennsylvania all the biologi
cal professors are evOlutionists--Leidy, Allen
Rothrock and Parker. At Yale, Michigan
Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth, Bowdoin and
Princeton Universities, the biological profes'
sors are in the same category. Wherever
there is a working naturalist, he is sure to be-
almost without exception, an evolutionist.
\ new process OF obtaining stereotype plates
for printing has been discovered by NJ. Emile
Jeanin, a sculptor of Paris, who proposes tt
employ for that purpose the material known
as celluloid The process ofpreparation takes
only half an hour, when the matter is once IN
type, and the plates thus produced are remark
ably adapted for working OH cylinder presses
running at high speed, being very light, tleX
ibe and durable. In this last respect they art
said to even surpass metal plates.
At a recent Berlin bird show several cana
ries were exhibited which attracted much at
tention on account Of the peculiar colors OF
their plumage. Some were green, others RED
and light brown, and others of soft gray
tint, while all differed more or less from the
light yellow of the common bird. These va
riations of color were produced 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 immedl
ate effects are, however, anything but pleasing
to the beholder, for the feathers soon begin to
fall, giving the bird the appearance of mott
ing but in short time new feathers appear
having the curious tints observed.