Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1883-01-11
SCIENTIFIC MISCELA ANY.

4OHy SouiStiuleS lipttSS " |
Mons. Him tells If such case which I
lately occurred at Colmar. \ thin iron {
rod about twenty-sx feet long had a
conical brass point screwed on the top,
and was connected below, by means OF
= series of pieces Of thin wire having
terminal eyes, with a block ct iron
about twenty inches 'org in the ground.
During a violent thunder storm light
ming melted the brass point, but the
current seems to have nowhere left the
conductor. Mons. Him insists that
the mere fact of lightning discharge
on the point Of conductor is proof Of
very imperfect construction; as, during
more than forty years Of observation,
he has never seen lightning strike one
Of the forty or fifty lightning rods OF
Che factories of Logelbach, although he
has found that currents are almost con
stantly passing through the rods in the
presence Of thunder storma.
Mons. Perreaux has constructed an
apparatus for microscopic measurements
which is capable Of measuring one l,
6OOth part Of millimetre. The in
atrument is so delicate that it can only
be used at certain urs Of the night
when the jar of passing vehicles has
ceased. Those not familiar with the
metgic system will get better idea of
the minute measuring powers of this
apparatus when it is considered that a
millimetre is only about enc twenty
9th Of our inch.
A new form Of phosphorus--tsrm
white phosphorus--has been discover
ID by Prof. Remsen, of the John Hop
kins University.
The name "commensals,' msaning
eaters at the same table, has been ap-
piled by naturalsts to creatures of diff
ferent kind which live together but do
not prey on each olher. A newly re
corded case Of commensalism is that Of
. curious lizard called tuatara--found
In the Chicken Islands, near New Zeal
and--and certain species Of petrei. In
burrow usually dug by the tuatara,
both lizard and bird build their sepa-
rate nests, and live in apparent har-
mony. They mutually profit by this
intimacy, as the lizard yaliantly defends
the entrance to the burgow while de.
pending upon its companion for large
part of its food. 1t is well known that
the underground home Of the North
American prairie dog is often shared
BY the rattle make and the burrowing
owl; and RABBIT like viscacha has a
messMate in little burrowing owl, in
South America. Conmensalism is,
however, very rare among the higher
animals. A few examples have been
recorded among insects; but the phe.
nomenon is much more frequently OBJ
served among marine animals, many Of
the weaker creatures Of tie sea owing
their existence 10 the food or protection
bestowed by their powerful allies
Koch'ssliscovery of the true nature
Of tubercular consump ion has natural
y raised the hope that some means
may DO found to destroy in the system
the organisms producing tie disease
Mons. Do Korab has recently described
TO the Paris Academy of Sciences an
interesting experiment bearing on the
subject. Tubcrcular matter from 8
guinea-pig was placed in ten tubes un
der favorable conditions for develop
nent. Into three of the tubes helenins
vas introduced. At the eud Of week
the matter acted upon by the helenint
had lost its lnfective power, while thai
IN tho other tubes still readily pr dueet
tuberculosis.
Aluminium, bluish-whte metal PCS
ssssiug valuable properties, constitute,
large portion of the earth's crust, DC
curr ng in 1873 different species of min
erals. Despite its abundance, however
It is rendered very expensive by tn
difficulty of separating it fir m its com
pounds-a process involving the us
Of sodium or potassium, both cost,
substances. Several attempts, of doubt
full success, have been made 10 ob,a;,
aluminium by means Of the crdinar
reducing agents, hydrogen and caribou
4 patent has. recently been taken on
In England for a new process of thi
kind, in which alumina (the oxide q
the metaD and carben are submitted t
temperature Of ignition in close We.
Gel, and subjected to the action of cal
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