Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-02-07
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

dayS after being beheaueu, cFlchcts M
leap on tn. thirteenth day after th-ir
heads may have been cut off, and signs OF
life may still be given by the body OF tn
brewing uantila On tn. fourteenth day /
after accapita,ion. This expcrlmen'rr
has made still NOR. striking observations
which tend to prove that the head in in
sects has much l..ss to do with guiding
the motions OF the body than the head in
mammals.
Twenty comets which have been stud
led with the spectroscopc have appeared
70 be essentially alike in chemical compo-
si.ion, while each comet is continually
varying in temperature, density and the
amount Of vapor omitted by its nucleus.
Higgins states that the substance Of these
bodies undoubtedly contains carbon, by
drogcn and nitrogen, and probably oxygen.
Mcteoritcs are evidently Of the same
nature as comets, and, while consisting
chiefly of iron and other solids, can often
be made to give up several times their
volume Of gases The idea that the
light Of comets and the phenomena OF
their tails arc produced by electricity is
thought to be gaining in favor among
students of these subjects.
Electrical science has furnished nov
elty for ladies' in the form Of series Of
luminous jewels which has been produced
by Mons. CASTOR Trouve Of Paris.
These ornaments consist Of glass colored
and cut to initiate rubics, diamonds, etc,
and each mounted in an envelope con-
tanning tiny incandestinc lamp, which
il fed from small battery carried about
the person. The light gives the glass
through which it shines the brilliant ap-
pearancc Of the stone initiated.
The most accurate calculation Jet
made Of the period Of the great comet OF
1882 is that Of Fabritius who makes II
1928 years.
From a report on American precious
stones by Mr.. Geo. +. Kunz, it appear
that some eihty-eight different minerals
occur in the United States which hav.
been used AZ gems, and twelve OF these
ere found only in the United States
Systematic mining for gems is carried OF
Il only two places in this country, viz: a
Paris, Maine, famed for its tourmalines
Of which probably more than $4,000
worth have been obtained; and at Ston.
Point, N. C., which has thus far yieldet
some $500 worth Of tourmaline ant
hiddenite. In other cases where gem
ars found they arc either met with acei
dentally, or occur in connection will
other materials that are being mined, o.
in snail veins which are only OCCASIONAL,
70 be discovered.
A Bombay physician, w. G. Balfour
recently pointed out that the use OF Ger
tain kinds Of fish in some seasons OF thu
year seemed to play part in the produc
ton Of cholera. He has since discov
fred in the blood Of one of these fish
bacterial organisms resembling those
found by DR.. Koch IN the intcstines oil
cholera patients in Egypt.
Mons. Cartailhac has given the French
Academy of Science description Of
seine old flint mines near Mur-dc- Barrez
Aveyron, which yield evidence Of work
ing by miners Of the stone age. This Is
mentioned as the first discovery Of pre-.
historic mines in France.
The discovery Of white sparrow at
Passingham has brought to notice the oc-
eurrence of white birds in other parts Of
Great Britain. Mr.. Rowland Ward, a
member of the London Geological Society,
mentions that pair Of pure white house.
martens have been in his possession for a
considerable time, and asserts that albino
plumage is less rare among common birds
than is generally supposed.
Birds have wonderful appetitcs. 1t
has been calculated that redbreast re-
quircs daily an amount Of food equal to
an eartkwo fourteen feet long. As
suming sausage nine inches in circum-
ference to be far equivalent for man OF
the earthworm for the bird, Prof. Wood
finds that man would have to consume
sixty seven feet Of such sausage in every
twenty. -four hours in order to cat as much
in proportion to his bulk as the red
breast. Prof Wood offers this as an H.
lustratioa of the amount of work which
is done by insect eating birds.
Sir Samuel W. Baker, the African
eYnlorer states that the camel will cross