Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1883-08-29
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

The doctors disagree. The now ia
nous fossil footprints found last year
at Carson, Nevada, and supposed to
have been made by prehistoric human
giants, are regarded by Prof. .. Z.
Marsh as probable tracks of a large
sloth. 1t is stated, however, that DIR.
| Hardness still insists that the inn
pressions were left by species of man
and that he finds his theory strength
| ened by fresh discoveries of tracks
even more clearly defined than those
| first uncovered.
Mons. Faye has shown that the
whirlwinds of dust observed by a
prejevalsky in Central Asia, like those
of Mexico, India and the Sahara,
have the same origin and mechanical
action as the tornadoes of the United
States and all waterspouts. They are
alike April movements defending
with upright axes and always trav-
cling hOrizontlly in a nearly straight
line. The general belief that the dust
on land and the water at sea ascend
from the surface high into the air is
due, Mons. Faye tells us, to an optical
illusion.
Attention has again been called
this time by Mons. J. Girard-to the
supposed changes of level of the
earth's surface reported from certain
parts of Europe. Villages in the
Jura which were hidden from each
other no longer than forty years ago
have gradually risen in sight, while
village of Bohemia the inhabitants
now see half of a distant church-spire
of which only the top was visible
thirty years ago. The apparent rising
of these places must, it is thought, be
result of the warping of the solid
crust of the earth. To detect further
changes in the Bohemian locality a
line of levels has been run.
Following the example of Paris, the
municipality of Algiers has estab-
lished a chemical laboratory for the
analysis of food substances and the de-
lection of adulteration.
Previous to 1870, according to a new
work by Prof. Wittrock, the so-called
"red snow" was thought to be the only
plant growing on, ice and snow.
Since that time, however, Norden-
kjold Berggren have discovered sew
eral ice and snow algae in Greenland,
one of them, Ancylonema Nordens-
kioldii, being very abundant. Still
later investigation has proven these
plants to be more numerous yet, DIR.
Kiellman finding at Spitsbergen not
only ''red snow" but "green snown-
which contained more than dozen
plant-forms. The snow flora now in
cludes thirty-seven species, and the
ice flora ten species. These plants are
almost entirely algae of microscopical
size and very low organization, grow
ing sometimes singly and sometimes
in colonies. They are generally of
bright colors-red, purplish-brown, and
green being common. Under the
dark mass of the plants the ice melts
very rapidly, and Nordenskjold even
suggests that the very abundant An
cylomema may have fastened the
disappearance of the ice deserts which
once covered so large a part of Europe
and America.
Herr Weller, experimenting at Tic
bingen, has discovered that the growth
of plants is more rapid under di-
minished atmospheric pressure-all
orther external conditions being the
same-than at normal pressure.
On the other hand, increasing the
pressure lessons the rate of growth,
minimum being reached at two or two
and one-half atmospheres.
In recent lecture before the Royal
Institution, of London, Sir William
Thompson presented four lines of ar
gument physicists have been enabled
to estimate the size of mOlecules-the
invisible particles which are supposed
to constitute all matter. Stated rough
ly it is shown by this reasoning-with
a high degree of probality-that in or
binary liquids, transparents solids,
or seemingly opaque solids, the aver
aga distance between the centres of
contiguous molecules is less than one |
two-millionth of all inch and greater |
than one Observation-Disclosures part !
of an inch. If a globe of water or |
glass six and one-third inches in di- |
ameter were magnified to the size of |
the earth, the size of each constituent |
mOlecule being increased in the same |
proportion, then the magnified mass |
would be more coarse-grained than !
heap of small shot, but probably less |
coarse grained than heap of siX-and |
a. third-inch globes.
A novel method is adopted in China |
to protect carrier pigeons from birds |
of prey An apparatus made of about |
ten small bamboo tubes is attached to |
the pigeons tail in such a way that a
shrill whisteling sound is produced by
the rush, of air across the tubes.
A letter from Capt. Dawson, COM
of the British Circumpolar
states that the Indians
have reported the existence of ruins
about twenty miles distant from Fort
Rae, and that if the descriptions given
are correct, the remains must resem-
Die those of Mexico and Yucatan.
The Indians are superstitiously afraid
to approach the ruins, but Capt. Daw-
sons communication announces his
intention to make an early tri p to
hem.