Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-03-29
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

ton from the phylloxera. Plants thus
treated are not attacked by the phyl
loxera, and the incubation process does
not injure the vines
Various means have been tried by
the sugar planters Of the West Indies
to reduce the ravages OF rats, which
cause great damage in the cane fields.
The most effective rat destroyer has
been the mungoose, small East Indl-
an animal. Nine mungooses were To-
troduced in Jamaica in 1872, and the
creatures have 80 multiplied tina: they
ere now abundant Throughout the ISL
and, with some prospect that they may
increase 20 as 10 become pest them
selves. At present it is estimated they
save the planters Of the island more
than 100000 year.
Ii. new work on the habits Of ami
mails Mr.. Arthur Nicols gives this OBJ
servation on the love dances Of the
gaudy king lory: "In few minutes be
few on to tree we'll within range Of
the binocular, and shortly afterward a
female joined him in answer to his call.
The swain was ardent, the damsel coy;
they fitted from branch to branch, and
whenever she perched he circled round
her, threw himself underneath the
branch, and swung to and fro with out
spread wings, displaying the full glory
Of his scarlet breast. 10 every move.
ment, whether on the wing or swaying
at the end Of bough, he studied to
present in the most effective manner
the brilliant adornments of his plum
age. do not think it possible
for anyone who had seen this little cpl
sode in bird life to have resisted the
conclusion Chat the male was conscious
Of his beautiful breast, and that he
adopted the best method OF showing it
ty swinging himself beneath the branch
whence the female could look down
and admire the display"
The great herring fisheries Of Nor
way are to be- studied, from CONNER
cial and scientific standpoints, by
government commissioner appointed for
that purpose.
From table prepared by DR.. Won
Boguslawski to show the greatest trust
worthy ocean soundings made up to
1882, it appears that the deepest water
was found in the Northern Pacific in
1874, by Commander Belknap of the
Tuscarora. The depth recorded was
about five and one third miles. In the
Japan Sea Commander Thompson Of
the Challenger measured, 10 1875, q
depth Of five and one-ffth miles; in the
North Atlantic Commander Mares Of
the Challenger reached, in 1873, near
ly Eve miles; and in the Caribbean Sea
Commander Bartlett Of the Blake made
soundings of nearly four..miles. in 1880.
According to an assertion made to
the French Academy Of Sciences by
Mons. Bouley, the American pork i'm,
ported into France almost invariably
contains trichina.e
The Bo tree of the sacred city or
Amarapoora, in Burmah, is the Oldest
tree of which any records exist, A
statement which Sir James Emerson
Teunent shows 70 be we'll founded
places its age at 2,l70 years, and refer
ences have been made to it in historic
documents dating Is far back Of 1872
A. ID. Other trees are believed to be
older--specimens Of Africa and Cali
fornia having computed age Of 5000
yearf-but thereis no certain evidence
that such is the case.
A Frenchman has discovered on the
African coast spider which spins
long, firm web closely resembling vel
low silk in appearance and nearly equal
to the product Of the silk worm in
quality. The new silk producer will
probably be introduced into France
experimentally, at least.
Since 1888, when the first balloon
of the Montogl6er brothers assembled
into the air, no material advance has
been made toward q solution of the
problem Of grial navigation, although
the century has been a period Of I'M
precedented scientific and mechanical
progress. The barronness Of result in
this field cannot be attributed to lack
OF interest or theorizing for the subject
has received much attention, and We
are now told that during 1882 no less
than 230 proposals-relating princi.