The Osceola times., 1881-06-18
SCIENCE.

world has lately been completed at Dub
lin for the Vienna observatory, by Mr..
Howard Grubb. "The Americans saws
the English Mechanic, "who had a fine
instrument at Washington, were disap-
pointed that the commission was not
given TO them. In his recent lecture at
Dublin Mr.. Grubb made some humorous
remarks on the point, and stated that so
far from the Washington telescope not
being able to find a certain star, Ameri-
cans have found four that no one else
ever saw" or course this last remark
was not intended to be taken seriously.
The new refactor has an aperture of "a
inches, and is 3S9 feet long, the tube be-
ing made wholly of steel. The principal
difficulty in its construction was to pro-
cure glass that should be sufficiently
pure and fine. An object-glas of the
very first quality could probably have
been obtained in this country, but it was
believed that steadier and more stable
instrument than is made in America was
necessary.
CONSIDERABLE knowledge concerning
the plants OF Italy in the time of the Ro-
mans has been gathered from the fres-
Goes at Pompeli. So many new pictures
have been unearthed in the course of
the excavations which were made on
the eighteen-hundredth anniversary of
the eruption that destroyed the town.
that an Italian botanist has been able TO
add from them considerable number of
plants to the list of those already known.
Fifty species have been certainly iden-
titled on these frescoes, and 90 others
probably but not positively determined.
The oriental plane tree and other trees
and plants not native to Italy appear to
have been well known to citizens of
Pompei.
lT is proposed TO introduce system of
compressed air clocks into London by
which any number of clocks in the city
can be wound and regulated by means
OF pneumatic air currents. There can be
one central motor, or Il motor in each of
several districts if necessary. The plan
is to have 10 in London and its enyirons.
or course every clock in the same circuit
will indicate exactly the same time.
The introduction of the system is ap-
proved by the municipal authorities, and
bill on the subject is now pending be-
fore Parliament. In Paris clocks so con-
nected and controlled have given great
satisfaction.
a GEOLOGICAL exploration of the region
of Newfoundland, near Conception bay.
west of st. Johns, where gold is said to
exist has recently been made at the in
stance of the colonial government. A
large area Of auriferous country was dis
covered, but whether gold mining would
be remuneratiye there or not can not be
ascertained without experimental opera
tons by practical mining en-. ineers.
The probability is, however that in any
event ample capital would be necessary
to any successful work in this gold-field,
if such it be; and that it would offer no
inducements to the individual miner
A SPECIMEN of the coca of South Amer
lea lErWhr0rylOn cOcd) in flower was re-
Gently exhibited in London at meeting
of the Royal Botanic Society, and Prof.
Bently stated that the consumption of
coca on the South American continent
was probably 100000 pounds per an
mum. Great efficacy is attributed to it
in sustaining strength and appeasing
hunger, but we believe that physicians in
Europe and the United States have
found it less useful in these respects than
native opinion in South America led
them to expect.
PROF. JOSEPH LISTER, of Kings College,
London, the eminent surgeon, has been
awarded the Boudet prize of an amount
equal to 81 200, by the French Academy
of Sciences, in recognition of his discov-
cries in antiseptic surgery. The prize,
under the terms of the bequest by which
the academy acquired it. was to 90 to the
persons who had most advanced the
healing art by ivestigations or inventions
suggested by Pasteaur's well-known re-
searches concerning germs and their
development.
A COMPARISON of iron and steel with
reference to the resistance which they
offer to corrosive action has been made
in England by Mr.. ID. Phillips, member
years ago of an Admiralty commission
to investigate the corros on of steam
boilers. He has informed the Institution
of Civil Engineers that his experiments
demonstrate the superiority of iron over
steel in this respect-more particularly
the harder sort of iron.
The French Association for the Ad-
vancement ofScience meets in the spring,
unlike its British and American name
sakes, whose meetings are always held
in the summer, usually after the middle
of August, we believe. This year the
French Association crossed the Mediter-
ranean to the colony of Algeria, and met
April IA, at Algiers.
SELF-LUMNoUs photographs, rendered
visible in the dark by the application of
phosphorescent paint in a peculiar man.
ner, are now very popular in Vienna.
The chemical students in the Technical
High School first brought them to the
notice of the public.
CoLLIDINE, the newly discovered aka
loid which has been found to exist in
tobacco smoke, is described as liquid
of penetrating but agreeable odor and
very poisonous. A twentieth part of one
drop is enough to kill frog.
A NUMBER of analysis of sea-weeds
eaten in Japan are published among the |
chemical contributions to the Transac-
tions of the Asiatic Society of that coun-
try. Here is hint to epicures in search |
Ill.