The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-11-12
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

The horn Of rlinoceros, when cut
through the middle, is said to exhibit ON
each aide the rude figure of man, the
outlines being marked by small white
strokes.
As'an illdstration of the present wide
spread interest in electrical matters
it may DO stated that six papers de- ;
voted to electricity aud its applications
are now published regularly In Paris.
At recent meeting ofa French asso-
ciation system Of cremation by electri-
tricity was proposed. By this plan tho
electric current reduces The body to ashes
without the introduction of foreign sub
stances.
A now theory of the so-calletl faseina-
tion of birds by snakes is that the bird
mistakes the snakes tongue, which the
reptile keeps in constant motion, for q
lively worm, and watches it with tho
expectation of deyouring it.
Mr.. Swan, the inventor of the English
rival of ofEdison's lamp, recently exhibited
two-candle power lamp detached from
any wire and portable. 1t could be
kept lighted for six hours by small
Fsure secondary battery not exceeding
ten pounds in weight.
Enthusiasts who make a special study
of sun-spots and attendant phenomena
believe that the cornerstone Of O now
science is now being laid by the dis
covery Of au intimate connection be-
tween terrestrial storms aud activity Of
the heated gases surrounding the sun.
just what the connection is they are
not yet able to clearly define, although
electricity is suspected of being tho
agent through which the effects are
manifested upon our planet. 1t is known
that the gaseous envelope of the sun is
affected by eruptions of such prodigious
magnitude as to be utterly beyond our
power of conception, these disturbances
appearing to us III the form Of rapidly
changing spots on the solar disk. Tho
spots come and 60 at remarkably regular
| intervals, complete cycle of the various
stages of activity from maximum to
minimum and again to maximum being
performed in about eleven years-the So
called "sun-spot period" The present
year has been one of great solar con-
WILSON'S, and sun-spot physicists have
been taking measures to verify their
theories that sun-storms produce a
marked effect upon the earth and it,
inhabitants. Their views seem to bc
strongly confirmed. While the present
has been year Of violent terrestTis
storms and earthquakes, these scieutists
claim to have proven by simultaneous
observation q correspondence between
minor meteorological phenomena and
changes upon the sun. Tho en,insnt
meteorological, Prof. .Piazzi Smith, As
tronomer Royal for Scotland, with many
others, are Of the opinion that the state
Of the sun will some day become an
important factor in weather forecasta
and similar calculations.
Ono of Proctor's most interesting lee.
tnres treats Of astronomical time and tho
ages Of planets, commencing with tho
earth. From the different geological
features Of the eartl's surface, it has
been computed that the formation of its
crust must have alone occupied 100, ,OO0,-
600 years. Such is the estimate formed
| by Grove aud accepted by Sir Charles
Lyell. From the Investigations of vari-
Gus physicists and experiments by Bis
chat, it il found that sc, ,OOO, 600 years
must have elapsed while the earth was
cooling from 1000 degrees 70 800 degrees
Of temperature. Prior 70 this again, the
earth existed for long period in .
nebulous condition. The earth may,
therefore, be fairly assumed to he 500,-
O0O, 600 years old-and this is considered
as erring to the side of deficiency rather
than to excess. Comparing this planet
with Jupiter, on the principle that tho
larger body is the longer must lie its
time of cooling, it is calculated that 1t
will be $500, ,000, 600 years before Jupiter
reaches the stage our planet has now
attained. Ten times as loag period
must pass before the sun arrives at 3
similar condition. The moon was in
this relative period of her existence
42O 900 900 years ago. II any planet il
of nearly the same age as the earth it is
Venus. Mars is older. Mercury is older
still; the moon, the oldest of all. The
features Of Venus must nearly resemble
those of the earth. Mars is about equally
divided into land and water, aud must
have an atmosphere. The moon pictures
the earth's future condition. 1t is a
dead world. 1t has neither water, clouds,
nor atmosphere. But, rs the earth is 81
times larger than its satellite, while it
has thirteen times as mnch surface,
about {, 800 coo 900 years will berequilel
for it to arrive at the moons present
condition. Following out this theory,
we greatly reduce the number of planets
on which life is possible. In our solar
system we have only the earth, possibly
Venus, aud, it may be, some of the
satellites.
Mr.. Michael MeCann, d well known and
popular manufacturer, of Syracuse, n. Y,