The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-09-17
NO. %.
FACTS FOR THE CURIOUS.

CELERY seed will germinate when
twenty years old. +,
THE little, hard-coated Ash called the
helix espersia has been known TO live .
year out of water without food.
THE vultures of Africa will discover q
dead animal as soon as it falls, from
heights viewless to the human eye.
THE lions teeth are so strong that he
easily breaks the bones Of his prey, and
swallows them with the rest Of the body
THE mechanic stenognpher Ia tho lat
est invention under particular notice IN
Paris. 1t beats the best professional
shorthand writer's.
A TIGER has been known to carey to
his den buffalo weighing twice o.
much as himself, throwing the animal
over his shoulder as fox does q goose.
THE most poisonous snakes appear To-
possess perfect iniaunity from the
poison of their own species, anda consisl-
cradle immunity from that OF otherkinds:
A RECENT calculation OF Prof. Gelkie's
puts the species of English mammals at
forty, Of reptiles Mt thirteen, Of land
birds at $780, OF towering plants and
ferns /, 425 species are now known.
WOMEN never appeared upon the stage
among the ancients Their parts were
represented by men until ~ late az
1862, when Charles II. first encouraged
their public appearance.
In birds distinguished for their powe1
Of flight, the mir fills the bones, sur
rounds the viscera, insinuates itself be-
tween the muscles, and buoys up the en-
tire skin, 80 that the whole body is in
flated like balloon.
SO FIXED and certain nse the dates Of
departing and Returning with many
species OF birds, that, in certain Eastern
countries at the present day, almanacs
are timed and bargains struck upon the
data they supply.
THE weight Of the largest brain on
record Is said TO be sixty-sevon ounces !,
the smallest--that of weighed
but two ounces and five grains. Cuvier's
brain hss seldom been equnled in
weight; it is noted ut 6i5 ounces. Tho
brain OF james Fisk, Jr., WINS considered
unusually llrge, its weight slightly ex-
ceedinp tifty-four ounces. Yet it was
ten ounces below that Of Cuvier, and
thirteen ounces lighter than the heaviest
known,
WHEN the hcrrings migrate from
south to north they travel In such num-
bers TINT their shoals, says Kirby, con-
sist OF millions OF my RAIDS, and are many
LEAGUES in width, many fathoms in depth
and so dense that the fish touch ench
ether This stream continuesfo hove at
rapid rnte for r4onths. A pair Of her
rings, says Buffon, il left undisturbed
for twenty years, would produce q
progeny whose bnlk would equal that Of
the entire globe.
In certain parts Of tho East curious
mode Of capturing elephants is some
times adopted A trained elephant will
first be taught to walk on narrow path
between two pitfalls which are covered
with turf I; and then it will be taken into
the woods, in order that it may deooyl
the wild herd into the ncighborhood OF
the snares. The N"decoy" elephant,
having succeeded in tho latter pur-
pose, will next, we are told, walk slowly
round and close to the traps, and then
suddenly hasten forward, a. though
frightened, and proceed safely past the
pitfalls, in which some OF the Wild ele-
plants are almost certain to become on
tangled in their attempts to follbw after
him. DIR. Darwin, who tells Ms Of this
method of capture, says that, II any Of
the wild herd be fortunate enough to
escape from the traps, they never fail, i
possible, to pursue the traitor who had
underworld to decoy them, and TO have
revenge upon him and sometimes THEY
have been known, in their rage, TO boat
one to death.