St. Landry democrat., 1883-02-17
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

The famous American opticians, Al
van Clark & Sons, of Cambridge, Mass,
have nearly completed the lens for the
great telescope ordered by the Russian
Government for the observatory at
Pulkava, the grinding of the glass hay-
The telescope will be forty-five feet
long, and the object glass is thirty in
cbes in diameter. Equipped with this
instrument, the eminent astronomer at
Pulkova can view the heavens through
the greatest refracting telescope in ex-
istence. This glory will probably be
short-lived, however, as the trustees OF
James Lick's estate ID California will
doubtless succeed in carrying out the
great philanthrophists instructions to
build a telescope surprising all, others
in power-that is, 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 found in
the Swedish province of Norrbotten,
at Kengis. 49 miles north of the Arctic
Circle, while the northermost limit OF
corn cultivation is at Muoniovara, SO
miles north Of the Circle.
Prof. Tromholt, a Norwegian investi-
gator, has been studying the aurora
borealis, and has obtained records from
fifty Geographic stations OF Norway
and Sweden which show that scarcely q
day passes without some disturbance
on the lines due to terrestrial magne-
tism. He is urging the establishing OF
an institution in Norway specially fitted
up for observing auroral and other
phenomena Of the earth currents.
A new thermometer, devised by NJ.
Nicholson, has proven SO sensitive IN
its experimental form that the inventor
hopes to be able to measure the
thousandth OF degree Centlgrade
with it.
The heaviest rainfall is stated by
Prof. Loomis to be found in the rain
belt which surrounds nearly the whole
globe 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 1873. 81
inches a year for the Indian Ocean,
so. IS inches a year; and for the Aus
trallehinese seas, 107. SO inches a year.
No calculation has been made for the
Pacific on account of lack OF records
from that ocean.
1t ia generally supposed that flies adj
here to ceilings and perp, ndicular walls
by virtue Of some sucking property of
the feet. In q communication to the
Berlin Society of Natural History, Herr,
DEWITT presents some facts which seem
to dispr0ve the theory and make it APP
pear probable that this power is due
rather to a sticky matter which may
be seen under the microscope to exude
from f1y's feet when walking with its
body downward.
It is estimated that forests still cover
twenty-nine per cent Of Europe and
forty per cent of the vast territory OF
Russia. Rnssia's timber includes two
hundred million acres OF pine.
The membership roll Of the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement
OF Science embraces 9 total OF 1922
names, according to the latest report OF
it's Secretary Death has removed 1874
members.
In q paper on the longevity of Ro-
mans in North Africa, read at q recent
meeting Of the London Anthropol0gi-
cal Society by Lord Talbot de Mala
hide, several instances were given OF
Inscriptions on tombs OF persons whose
age lidU cACetUcU lVu J C6l s---IA aOlAC
cases an age of 100, 100 and even 14O
years having been reached.
Herr Gruber has been studying the
sense of hearing in insects. He finds
cockroaches, beetles and certain aqua
tic insects to be very sensitive to sounds
while grubs, ants and various water
larvae appear to be unaffected. The
response made by the insects affected
by sound Herr. Gruber considers an in |
dication of true hearing
. Mr.J. G.. jackson, of Hockessin, Del,
has observed what he believes to have
been mist or cloud on the moon. He |
has been able to see the appearance |
only on one particular evening Of each |
lunation when the moon was about |
sixty hours old. He thinks this mist is |
formed at a particular point during /
every lunar night, and is dispelled soon
after the sun rises on that part OF the |
moons surface.
A queen bee lays, in the height of I
the season, from 1900 to 5000 eggs in
twenty four hours.
Poisonous Tea.
G