The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1883-10-06
SCIENTIFIC ITEMS.


The Journal of Science is the author
lty for the assertion that some persons
who are particularly sensitive to the
bites of gnats and midges experience a
return of the original irritation at regu-
lar intervals of twelve and twenty-four
hours. The fact, if fact it be, would
seem to lend strength to the opinion
that gnats and mosquitoes are the bear
ers OF the germs OF malarial fever.
A SCIENTIFIC authority remarks that
facts collected by Miss Armerod in Great
Britain, prove that there the damage
caused by insects is in reality enormous.
Not less than e2, 600, 900 will be set down
to aphydss IN the country where the in
habltants are devoted to the GATHERS
ing industry, while the ravages annually
caused by wire-worms, weevils, ETC.. to
wheat, barley, peas, beans and tares
seem to range between e. and E} an
acre.
FRoMexperimentsin Caracas, Venezu.
Ella, M. V. Marcano concludes that the
cycle of the circulation of the SAP of
lnter-tropical plants is completed within
period Of twentyfour hours, present
ing two maxima of relative fxity. and
that the inner pressure of the sap is in
ferior to that OF the atmosphere during
tue dry, but far greater during the RAINY
seasonal phenomenon attributed In
great part to the water absorbed by the
leaves.
The influx of the rural population of
countries to cities IS regarded in Europe
with alarm and regret. If fewer men
with improved machinery will now do
the work formerly required of many
more men and women iu the agri-
cultural districts, why any such alarm
or regret? An almost equally sane
howl would be that there are now no
galleys to transport emIgrants to this
country across the Atlantic instead of
steamships.
M. CAzAN insists that the chemical
composition of steel rails has only sec
ondary influence upon their resistance:
that everything depends upon the TEN.
perature at which the rails are finished
In the rolling mill At the bright red
heat the particles of the metal have suf-
iclent liberty of movement to allow of
their grouping themselves into the crys-
talline form, which is not the case at
lower temperatures, and that, therefore,
If bright-red iron submitted to forging
and rolling before it has cooled down it
Will have an opportunity of crystallizlpg.
AN expert suggests that daub of tar
upon the noses of sheep during the
months of July and September is an
effective preventive against the at
tacks of annoying, if not fatal
grubs. "The sheep grub" he says,
lis not fatal, but very disagree
able, and doubtless has bad effect up
on the general health of the animal. If
any desire to study the subject he NAV
find the grubs IN many of the heads of
the animals killed in the shambIes at
later months more or less fully devel-
oped."
A NEW battery has been devised by
NM. Lelande and Chaperon. It is a
single-cell one. The liquid used is
caustic potash. The depolarizing cleo
trode is oxide of copper and the other
pole is made of ziuc. This effective bat
terry is manufactured in various forms.
Its electro motive force is nearly one
volt, and it is said to give a steady cur
rent through even a low resistance for
good many hours. When the power, or
rather energy, is exhausted, the battery
can be restored TO its first condition by
sending a current through it from an
accumulation