The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-03-13
SCIENTIFIC MIsCRLLANY.



hibited at the forthcoming exhibition
Of electrical apparatus at Paris, and
will doubtless attract much attention
from scientific men.
A late novel application of electricity
is the construction of a soldering iron
In which a piece Of platinum is heated
by the electric current, aud employed
to fuse any kind of solder.
BY means f. rewly-improved pumps,
it is possible to secure a so
nearly perfect that a given space will
kcontain. not more than the hundred
millionth of its normal quantity of air.
The body Of a colossal ~rhinoceros was
recently found in Siberia, a country
most rich in gigantic fossils. Like the
mammoth washed ashore by the Lena
River in 1890. it is remarkably well pre-
served, the skin being unbroken and
covered with long hair.
The eject of ALLOWING certain metals
with certain other metals is quite re-
markable. The presence of one-twen-
tieth of II per cent of lead in standard
gold will render a bar an inch thick so
briddle that it may readily be broken
by a eight rap with a hammer.
Recent Investigations have shown
the depth of the ocean between lati-
tudes sixty degrees north and sixty de-
gress south to be nearly three miles, or
$500 fathoms. The greatest depth
which has been ascertained by sound
ing is five miles and a quarter, or 1920
fathoms, and occurs in the northwest
Pacific ocean. This represents a thick
ness of the water layer nearly equal to
the height of the loftiest known noun
tain.
An Australian correspondent fur
nishes interesting proof of the provi-
dent and far-seeing instinct of bees.
Last year the drought in New South
Wales was of long duration, and the
denizens of the apiaries suffered much
from it. This year the bees have made
provision against a similar emergency
by filling a large number of the exter-
nal cells in every hive with pure water
instead Of honey. 1t is believed that
the insects leads them to anticipate a
hot summer and to provide against it.
After h cruise of a few months in the
South Pacific Ocean, a French man-of-
war was recently found to have speci-
mems of living coral growing upon its
hull, which interesting discovery has
thrown some light on the question of
the rapidity of growth of corals. The
evidence tends to show that the vessel
on passing a reef of the Gambler ISL
ands, against which it rubbed, had
picked up a young .fungia, which adher-
ed to the sheathing of the ship, and
grew to the size and weight it had when
observed-a diameter Of nine inches
and a weight of two and one-half
pounds-in nine weeks.
A new use for photography in con-
nection with the higher arts has been
found in the discovery that it may be
relied upon to detect any restoration or
tamperlng with oil paintings. On re-
Gently examining the first proof o I a
well-known Madonna, in the British
National Gallery, the photographer OBJ
served a disfguring blur over the FORE
head. No such blur was discernible in
the original, except upon close inspec-
ton with the aid of u magnifying
glass. The microscopic examination
showed that the r~estorer had repaired
some casual damage with a skill that
reproduced the color and the texture Of
the painter; but he had not used the
same pigments, and this was instantly
detected by the subtle chemistry Of
light.
The Journal de Phisique-long edited
by NJ. d'Almeida, lately deceased-nar-
rates this interesting episode: Dur
ing the investment and siege of Paris
by the German armies in 1901 M.
d'Almeida took a prominent part in
certain attemps to re-establish tele-
graphic communication between Paris
and the provinces, using the River Seine
as a conductor. This suggestion origi-
mated with NJ. Bourbouze (of galvan-
ometer fame,) who was, after the war,
created n chevalier for his suggestion.
1t was proposed to send powerful cur
rents into the River Seine from batter
les at the nearest available point outside
the German lines, and to receive in
Paris, by delicate galvanometers, from
the river such a portion of these cur
rents as might not have leaked into the
earth. After some preliminary expert
ments, 1t was decided to make the at
tempt. and accordingly on Dec. II,
1870, NJ. d'Almeida was despatched by
balloon to the provinces in order to try
to establish this novel mode Of tele-
graphy without wires. The balloon
descended after sundry perils in the
Arcodlan solitudes Of Champagne, out
side the Prussian lines. Thence he
proceeded to Havre. where he was
compelled to wait for the arrival Of
apparatus from England. The instru-