Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1882-09-14
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

for the great telescope ordered by the
Russian government for the observa-
tory at Pulkova, the grinding of the
glass having now been in progress for
= year. The telescope vii; be forty
FIVE feet long, and the object glass is
thirty inches in dimcter. Equipped
with this instrument, the eminent as
,tronomer at Pulkova can view the
heavens through the greatest refract-
ting telescope in existence. This glory
will probably be short-lived, however,
as the trustees of James Lexis estate
10 California will doubtless succeed
in carrying out the great phllanthrs-
pists instructions to build telescope
SURPRISING all others in power-that
il, they will succeed so far, at least, as
power may depend upon size.
The most northern place in the
world where rye and oats mature is in
the Swedish province of Norrbotten,
at Kengis, 40 miles north Of the Ar
tic Circle, while the northern most linn
it OF corn cultivation is at Muonioyara,
.98 miles north Ct the Circle,
Prof. Tromholt, Norwegian inves-
tigator, has been studying the aurora
borealis, and has obtained records
from fifty Geographic stations of Nor
way and Sweden which show that
scarcely day without some disturb
ance on the lines due to terrestrial
magnetism. He is urging tie estab-
ling of au institution in Norway speci
ally fitted up for observing auroras
and other phenomena Of the earth cur
Eents.
A new thermometer, devised by NJ.
Nicholson, has proven so sensitive in
its experimental form that the inven-
tor hopes to be able to measure the
'thousaudth of a degree Centigrade
with it.
The heaviest rain fall is stated by
Prof. Loomis to be found in the rain.
belt which surrounds nearly the whole
globc lying between the northeast and
southeast trade winds. From records
collected of rainfall at sea, Mr.. W. J.
Black has estimated the rates per an
mum for this belt. The fall for the
Atlantic ocean is calculated at 1887
inches year; for the Indian ocean,
80 50 inches year; and for the Aus
trail Chinese seas, 1876 inches year.
No calculation has been made for the
Pacific, on account Of lack Of records
from that ocean.
It is generally supposed that flies ad
here to ceilings aud perpendicular
walls by virtue Of some sucking
( property Of the feet. In a commu-
nicatiou to the Berlin Society of Nat
ural History, Herr DEWITT presents
some facts which seem to disprove the
theory and make it appear probable
that this power is due rather to
sticky matter which may be seen un-
der the microscope to exude from
AyS feet when walking with its body
downward.
Tho cultivation Of tea has been
tried in New Zealand, and tho expert
mont is reported very successful in its
results.
M. Care estimates that meat may
be frozen sufficiently to destroy any
trichinae it may contain at a cost of
less than tenth of cent per pound.
He has strongly urged to the French
Academy the importance Of this sys-
tenn as q safeguard against trichinosis.
1t is estimated that forests cover
twenty nine per cent Of Europe, and
forty per cent of the vast territory Of
Russia. Russians timber includes
two hundred million 1cres of pine.
The membership roll of tho Ameri
can Association for the advancement
OF science embraces a total of 1899
names, according to the latest report
Of its secretary. Death has removed
365 members.
In paper on the longevity Of Ro-
mans in North Africa, read at re,
cent meeting of the London Antropo-
logical Society by Lord Talbot de NAL
abide, several instances were given of
inscriptions on tombs of persons whose
age exceeded 100 years-in some
some cases an are of 100 40 and ev.