St. Landry democrat., 1883-07-21
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The concealment OF some animals is
easily effected on account of the adap-
tation of their colors to those OF sur
rounding objects i'll their native Wllds.
This adaptation is the mimicry OF ami
mails, and seems to bea wise proyislonI
of Nature for the protection OF some OF
her creatures. In the course OF "a les
son in comparative zoology DIR. IL. w.
Mitchell says that the giraffe has, per.
laps, the most astonishing mimIcry OF
any animal. It's great size, which en-
abes it to feed upon lofty tree boughss
in its native African forests, makes 1T
also most conspicuous object to It's
enemies, of which the most dreaded are
the lion and man. Such is its m1micry,
however, that the most practical eye
has failed to distinguish the glrate
from one OF the dead and blasted trees
which abound in the haunts OF this AMI
nal. Reliable evidence assures us that
lions have been known to gaze lons
and earnestly at motlonless giraffe,
and, being unable TO decide that it was
not d tree, to turn and skulk away.
Messrs. Pasteur, Chamberlain, Roux
and Thuillier have been Investigating
rabies. They find that all forms OF IL
come from the same virus. Death al
ter inocculation with rabid saliva may
be either from an organism existing III
the saliva, from formation OF much pus,
or from rabies. The investigators
have now four dogs which cannot take
rabies. Whether this is because the
animals have had mild form OF it and
recovered or because they are naturally
refractory to the disease is not known.
The migration of birds seems to be
more a question OF food than anything
else. A migration of robins. W hose TODD
supply had been reduced by the dry
season, was noticed during July ana
August of last year.
A bone of contention is still found in
sun-spots and the question OF their IN
fuence upon our weather. 1t has been
asserted that any effect produced upon
our planet by an increase in the activity
of'the sun must extend over the whole
world and be felt in the same way IN all
places. To this conclusion Mr.. y. "A.
Westwood Olivier, of GLASGOW, replies
that the only way il " hich the sun can
effect the meteorological conditions OF
our globe is by intensifying phenome-
ma, and so rendering the unlike condl-
lions in different parts Of the world
more widely divergent than ever.
Weathersrecords prove, to Mr.. divers
satisfaction, these five facts, viz that
in certain localities Of the earths sur :
face connection between the state OF
solar activity and the weather cat least
as regards temperature, rainfall ana at
mosnheric disturbancel is apparent;
that in other localities connection is
apparent, but Of precisely opposite
character; that in yet other localities
no connection of any kind is traceable,
which may be due to local clrcum
stances. upon which the weather often
largely depends; that the connection
is most obvious in tropical or sub-trop-
zeal ATTITUDES; and that, as conse-
uuence of the foregoing, combined rec
ords from all parts of the globe fail to
exhibit the connection, the two opp0-
site effects cancelling each other.
Archaeological researches have shown
that the ancient Egyptians were Ia
m1lliar with dental processes winch are
commonly regarded as modern lnnova.
tions. In tombs of this people Belzoni
and Others have found artificial teeth
Of ivory or wood, some OF them fas-
tened upon gold plates. Teeth OF mum
mics filled with gold have also been
found, it is stated.
Observations Of the solar corona-the
bright halo which circles the sun and
extends from it to a considerable dis
lance in space-have long been con-
fined to the rare and brief intervals
when the sun itself is totally ecllpsed.
tt Is now announced, however, by VIM.
Higgins, F. RS, that the corona has
been successfully photographed by him
in the full glare Of the uneclipsed sun.
Some twenty plates have thus far been
obtained. With such means OF obser-
walton within our reach AS Mr.. Hugglns
has thus developed, it becomes posi-
Bile to keep daily record OF the appear
auce of the corona and TO note It's
changes as they occur.
Mr.. Ell. Stone expresses confidence
that the British contact observations OF
the transit of Venus were SO success
full that they will reduce the possible
error in our estimate of the suns dis
lance to 100000 miles or less.
From experiments by Herr j. Moritz,
it appears that temperature OF from
ten to twenty degrees below zero may
be readily produced by mixing equal
quantities Of alcohol and snow. The
absence Of any salt or acid in this freez-
ing mixture may sometimes be point
in its favor.
Regular observations of the rainfall
in Great Britain are made by more than
J. two thousand persons, the results being
forwarded to Mr.. G.. S. Symons, the en-
inent meteorological.
a remarkable shooting star was OBJ
sarvAd on the morning of Nov. 18th
from a steamer ID the Red Sea. 1t
onickly disappeared like ordinary me
fanrs Int Ieft.a bright train, some eight