Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-04-25
SCIENTIFIC GLEANlNGS.
DRY FACTS STATED IN An ENTER.
TANNING WAY.

A Abundance Of Animal Life at Great
Depths In the Ocean-ileavy Fall Of
Dust destructive ParAsol Ants-A
Mountain Sinking-Etc.
Compiled for the WOOD RIvEa TIsEs.
In its cruise last summer off the
coasts Of southern Europe and north
ern Africa the French steamer Tails
man found surprising abundance OF
animal life at great depths in the ocean.
Many forms new to science were
brought on board. 4 remarkable fea-
ture Of some Of these creatures is seen
in their peculiar organs, some Of the
fishes having curious mothcr-ol- pearl
colored bodies imhedded in the skin of
the head, sides or back, and appearing
to be producers of light and possibly
accessory eyes; while others have long
Harmonious organs which are bril-
liantly phosphorcsccnt On being
brought to the surface from the ire
mendous pressure Of the deep-sea, the
expansion in the bodies of many fishes
caused their scales to Ay Of, their eyes
to be squeezed from their sockets and
their air-bIadders to be forced through
their mouths. The greatest depth from
l. y f,t
ons, a specimen having previously
been secured by the Challenger expe-
dition from depth of 2,734 fathoms.
Among the geological results of the
French party's drcdyings was the find
ing of polished and scratched stones
on the sea-bottem between France and
the Azores, showing that iceberg
must have existed in that part of the
Atlantic during the glacial period; to-
gether with the bringing up OF rock
fragments bearing impressions Of tril-
obites, which may be taken as evidence
Of the former existence of the tradi-
tional lost continent Atlantis.
i, Mons. Poincare has found that a
3 petroleum-ladcn atmosphere proves
: fatal to guinea pigs III from one to two
years, while dogs and rabbits are af
t fected with languor and loss of appe-
h tite, although workmen exposed tc
: such an atmosphere notice no severer
= symptoms than irritation of the mem
$ branes of the nose and headache.
Prof. ID. e. Hughes explains thu
phenomena of magnetism by simple
rotation of the molecules Of metals, o
of any substance, as he believes al
matter to have inherent magnetism.
!. An English experimeuter planted
i. hyacinth bulb in October, 1882, an
" as soon as it commenced to sprout re
h moved it to perfectly dark but well
PC ventilated place. In March, 1888,
;s stem Of dark purple flowers was Pre-
= du ed, the leaves Of the plant beiu
, totally colorlcss. In October, ISIS;
;s the same bulb was again planted, an
# was grown in the light through tn
70 winter. 1t has lowered again mi
- year, and the flower cluster is smalle
i and less deeply colorcd than thu
j.. which came forth last year in til
darkness.
n Mr.. l.. p. Muirhead has given an az
". count of a fall Of fine black dust whic
was noticed at various places alon
the Clyde, in Scotland, on Marc4 Is
At o'clock a. m, the snow was pul
ld and white, but when next seen, abol
of an hour and aquartor ater,it present,
he sooty appearance. On melting II
IL snow froM a square foot of surfa
1t four grains of dust was obtained. NJ
Id, Muirhead found it probable that Il
lat fall extended over an area of at lea
is $40 square miles, and he has estimat,
p- thas not less than $3.50 tons of du
is must haye fallen.
' The Director Of the Botanic Gard,
Nv at Port Spain, the capital Of Trinida
~ reports that the parasol ants infe
the island in vast numbers, al
~ are very destructive to vcgetatio
\ settlement of these insects som
=, times covers 1000 square feet, and Il
" efforts of a dozen men, who for
boiling water or sulphur fumes in
the nests, may fail to destroy sing
he colonyin less than ? week or a fol-
is night.
rot Near Bona the Jebel Naiha.
am isolated mountain about 1900 fe
We high, is evidently sinking, and as
of sinks considera5le cavity is bel,
vaS fnrme1 round its boSn O,her IL nd