Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-10-09
SCIENTIFIC l:IscELLANY.

IN the D1ru Of maAiHr tufncUs to1f-
neys ac1oes the Bahic-4Yuitiins the NV
en- Of Northern Sweeden and Finland 10
the sutumr for a visit TO the shores Of
Northern Germany during the winter,
and returning to their hsunis in the sIring.
In Germany and Norway eEvrs have
been TO learn something Of the migration
Of saluon through the rlsu Of hberatin.
carefully marked specimens and oarrins
rewards for particulars concerning their
re-op&ure. In 1872 THOUSAND marked
sslnoa we're turned into the Weser, hut
* until few weeks sgo was the frs.
capture Of q marked 6sh reportcd-she
xzA being taken near the place where it
~ pot into the river, it. weight being
thirty pounds, and its marks showing that
Il vas thirteen years old in 1872. Sew
ezal hundred saluon and trout, plainly
marked with tags, were liberated in Nor
way during last autumn aud winter.
The forest land in European Russia is
npidly decreasing, threatening loss Of
wood supply and serious change Of eli
mate. Its area Is now estimated at SO
PER cent Of the total area OF the country,
while that Of Austria is 90 per cent, of
Germany 26, France 10, Italy Is and
Turkey IA per cent.
Three causes are found by Mons. Du-
rand for spontaneous combustion in col
6eFis-the xidation Of iron pyrites in
the coal, friction from slipping, and heat
# air currents.
From the report Of smallpox hos
pital nam London it appears that an un-
vsccinaied child runs risk Of death from
smallpox more than six times as great as
Ne child who has undergose the harm
IN operation necessary to protect him
from that disease.
A quarter Of q oeutry ago Mr.. G. T.
Syuons instituted the first general series
Of rainfall observations ever made in Eng
land. He has since then gradually ex-
tended his system, and there are now
searly 1900 observers, no less than 2
433 stations having furnished perfect
records Of the rainfall last year. Valuable
in many ways - this work may by to the
EDglish people, the observers have moi
only rendered their services without com.
peu1aaion but have also borne most Of III.
expense Of making known the results o.
their observations.
The evident paia inflicted BY clums,
hanging and the ghastly fact that person
have shown signs Of consciousness for al
appreciable time sitter beheading hay,
led humanifarians to consider other mode.
Of sxscuting criminals PruSic acid ans
esecGzicity are among the agents which
have been proposed, but the latest snt
perhaps most promising suggestion is tina
Of y English writer, Who would plac'
convict in suitable cell and at the prop
= noneat cover him with Aow of car
11ic acid gas, BY which means . cain
and speedy death would be ensured.
Prof. G. r. Wright infen that tn
Niagara river has worn the whole Of III
gosgs from Queenstown to the falls, witt
perhaps some little help from pre-glacia
erosion above the whirlpool. The rat
erosion, calculated At about three feet
year, would make the time required nc
over 10000 or $4,000 yean.
An English observer has declared tbs
fully one bushel Of grain per acre b,
bsea destroyed BY small birds alone in hi
country. He has estimated that If til
number Of small birds were reduced b
Use-haf the annual saving to the countr
would amount to more than q, 800, O0t
"Of al solar problems" said Prof.
4. Young in his annual address a. pres
dent Of the American Association for III
Advancement Of Science, ssthe one whic
excites the deepest aud most general il
-tesest b that relating to the solar heat, il
maiutenanee and its duration. For IN
own part. end no fault with the sol,
ton proposed BY Helmholts, who account
for i mainly BY the slow contraction {
the solar sphere. The only objectio
Of much force is that il apparently limi
the past duration Of the solar system to
period not much exceeding some TWEEN.
millions Of years, and many Of our ge
logical friends protect against 50 scan,
IN allowance. The same theory woal
give NJ, perhaps, half as much time Il
our remaining lifetime; but this is u
objection, since / perceive no reason ,
doubt the FINAL cessation Of the suns a.
tivity, and the consequent death of Ii
system"
rs<yI A. ~