The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-05-07
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Compiled for the Leader.
Much interest has been shown in the
experiments of Mr.. Muybridge OF San
FraDcisco,i in the instantaneous photog-
raphy of moving animals, reports Of
which have been given from time to
time. These pictures, taken in differ
ent stages of the animals motion, show
various different pastures Of the limbs
and body. Some time ago, Mr.. Muy-
bridge devised an instrument for exbib-
ting these photographs. 1t Is called
the zo-ogyroscope and a series Of pos
lures Of any animal shown even to the
whlsk of its ~tail-being faithfully re-
produced by this ingenious combination
of the Photographic views. This sys-
tenn Of curse furnishes a valuable
mean for the study Of animal motion.
advantage of which has been taken in
various ways. Some late interesting
experiments have been made with the
skeleton OF a horse which was taken
apart and supplied with artificial liga-
ments to the joints. This prepared
skeleton was made to assume the vari-
GUS positions of the living horse, as
shown by previous photographs, and
exposed to the camera while in those
positions. The pictures thus secured
are placed In the zo-ogyroscope, where
the skeleton is shown in all the move
ments of the living animal in its various
gaits of cantering, pacing, running,
trotting and walking, presenting a sin
guar and fascinating view, especially
valuable to the veterinary surgeon, who
Is thus enabled to determine In a prac-
tical manner the effect of motion on
the various joints.
The peculiarities of the Chinese lam
guage have presented great difficulties
to telegraphists, so that the new instru-
ment, the telephone, is received with
peculiar favor by the Chinese govern
ment which has, it is reported, resolved
to establish a system Of telephones
throughout the country.
In experiments with sugar-beets, a
German agriculturist has found that
the application Of phosphoric acid In
the spring materially increases the
yield of sugar.
Prof. S~chiibeler's observations show
that the long summer days of high lati-
tudes cause flowers. fruits, etc., to gain
an intensity Of color and aroma, while
from the want of heat the fruits become
deficient in sweetness,
Vesta, the largest of the minute
planets known as s'asteroids," Is COM
puted to have a diameter of about 300
miles; and Echo, the smallest, is prob
ably about ten miles in diameter. Some
mathematician has lately furnished the
rough but interesting calculation that
the Sun is a thousand times the volume
of Jupiter; Jupiter, a thousand times
that of the Earth; the Earth a thou
sand times that of Vesta; and Vesta a
thousand times that CT Echo, the
''baby" of the solar system, as at pres
emit considered. The vast number Of
bodies far more minute than Echo is
doubtless revolving around the Sun, but
these minute masses are so small a to
be unseen by astronomers except when
they flash as meteors through the upper
regions Of our atmosphere on their way
to the Earth.
Various kinds of smoke have recently
been examined microscopically, and
found to consist of particles having a
diameter of about the fifty-thousandth
part of an inch.
The frescoes of Pompeii represent o
considerable number of plants, and
taking advantage of the discoveries
made during the recent excavations on
the occasion of the centenary of the
eruption, DR.. Comes has identified no
fewer than fifty different plant species
on frescoes. In this manner he has
shown, among other things, that the
ancient Romans possessed or knew
plants foreign to Italy.
81 have endeavored to state the
higher and more abstract arguments by
which the study Of physical science may
LG shown to be indispensable to the
complete training Of the human mind,
but l do not wish 1t to be supposed that
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