Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-04-17
Scientific Intelligence.

Scientific Intelligence.
SOME excavations commenced at
the distance of about a kilometre from
the walls of Pompeii, with view to
ascertain the nature of the surround
ings of the city, have led to the dis
coyery, within an area of but few
square metres, of thirty skeletons,
ten of which were huddled together
in one room Of small suburban
villa, and among and upon the bones
were found bracelets, necklaces, ear
rings and other objects. oi
PROFESSOR VIRcHow, of Berlin, has
lately dealt the vegetarians a blow.
The advocates of a vegetable diet
have generally maintained that ami
NAL food was not natural to man. This
is denied on anatomical and biological
grounds by Professor VirchOw, who
shows, as the result of anatomical
inquiries, that not only man, .but
such animals as the gorilla, nearly
allied to him in the scale of being. are
indisputably fitted to be omniverous.
THE material OF some of those re-
markable structures called yitrifed
forts found in France and other coun-
tries of Europe has been examined by
M. Daubree. He does not think that
the same plan of making them was in
variably pursued, but he is inclined to
believe that the fire was applied with
in the walls SO as to secure natural
draught, which may also have been
assisted by a current of forced air
To vitrify walls sOthick as those of
these forts the heat must have been
intense.
A GREAT discovery has been made
on the Mojave Desert (says the San
Francisco Chronicte), which seems
destined to revolutioniZe viticulture
in Southern California. Tt has been
found that the grape-cuttings inserted
in the trunks Of the cacti on the des-
ert grow and thrive as vigorously as
in cultivated land. This fact is of
great Importance to the people. BY
the use of a chisel man can plant a
large vineyard in day, and the vines
so planted will climb the cactus and
grow luxuriously without cultivation
or irrigation. The dry, hot sands of
the desert will afford a fine place for
drying raisins. In additions to grapes,
it has ben proved that melons, cucum-
bers and tomatoes will grow from the
cactus stock, so that the desert may
soon bloom as the rose.
THOSE who wish to test the intellect
of new cook, or other suspected
person according to Or. Delaunay,
need only give her plate to polish and
notice in which direction she moves
her hands. If she goes round it from
left to right, as in winding upa watch,
all is well; but if she goes from right
to left it is a sign of mental inferior
ity. DR.. Delaunay adds that the in
feriority Of'the softer sex as well as
of male ounces is shown by their
drawing circles from right to left;
asylum patients and children do the
same, but when the faculties are de-
veloped the person may come to
reverse his method. He concludes
that centrifugal movements are
mark Of incomplete evolution. He
has some further extraordinary deduc-
tions as to the relative positions of
races in the scale of development
from the way they wind their watches
and make their screws.
THE annual report for 1880 of the
State Geologist of New Jersey, recent
ly published, gives in detail the re-
suits of the last geological survey of
the State. Considerable attention
has been given to. paleontology and
specimensaOf fossil fish and plants of
cretaceous, tertiary and post-tertiary
ages have been collected. The pro-
duction of iron ore is estimated at
$40, 600 tons, an increase of 100000
tons above the product Of 1870, and of
17s,000 tons above that of 1873. The
native fire-clays are reported to sur
pass those from the other states and
from European countries. Silver has
been found in the red sandstone re-
gion to the extent of three ounces and
upwards to the ton. The percentage
of copper is equally low, and no gold
has been found in any of the assayed
ore and specimens.