The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-05-03
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

| nomena of magnetism by q simple rotation
of the molecules of metals, or of any sub
stance, as he believes all matter to have
inherent magnetism.
An early human skull has been foune
near Prague in bed of chalk from which
the tusk of a mammoth had been dug few
days previously. The skull has an extreme
ly low forehead and great development Of
the ridges.
Two cases have been reported to an Eng
lish medical society in which the electro
magnet has been successful by used for re-
moving pieces of iron from the eye. With.
out the magnet it is thought that the sight
of the injured eye must have been lost in
each case.
Mons. Poincare has found that petrol.
eum-laden atmosphere proves fatal to
guinea-pigs in from one to two years.
while dogs and rabbits are affected with
languor and loss of appetite, although
workmen exposed to such an atmosphere
notice no seyerer symptoms than irritation
of the membrane of the nose and head
ache.
Prof. V. Ball has shown that land-slides
may sometimes make lakes by damming
up valleys, and he mentions lake at Mai
ma Tai in the Himalayas which appears to
have been formed in this way. Land-slides
also caused Swallowing of river channels
md nh, irr1f ba sc4o
for evidence of the rising of land; and they
produce boulder deposits resembling those
left by glaciers.
The Director of the Botanic Garden
at Port Spain, the capital of Trinidad, re-
ports that the parasol ants infest the Island
in vast numbers and are very destructive
to vegetation. A settlement of these in
sects sometimes covers thousand square
feet, and the efforts of dozen men, who
force boiling water or sulphur fumes into
the nests, may fail to destroy single colo
ny in less than week or fortnight.
Some Of the plants of the Swiss Alps have
been carried away by the collectors in such
quantities that the rarer species are in dan
ger of becoming extinct, and an association
for their protection has been formed among
the botanists of the vicinity. The society
has lately established at Geneva garden
for the acclimatization of Alpine plants,
and to encourage their cultivation in all
parts of Switzerland where they will grow.
An English experimenter planted a
hyacinth bulb in October, and as soon as
it commenced to sprout removed it to a
perfectly dark but we'll ventilated place.
In March, 1883, stem of dark purple
flowers was produced, the leaves of the
plant being totally colorless. In October,
1888, the same bulb was again planted, and
was grown in the light through the winter.
1t has lowered again this year, and the
flower cluster is smaller and less deeply
colored- than that which came forth last
year in the darkness.
Mr.. L. P. Muirhead has given an account
of a fall of fine black dust which was no.
ticed at various places along the Clyde,
in Scotland, on March l. At o'clock A.
NJ, the snow was pure and white, but when
next seen, about an hour and a quarter
later, it presented sooty appearance. On
melting the snow from a square foot of
surface four grains of dust was obtained.
Mr.. Muirhead found it probable that the
fall extended over an area of at least 810
square miles, and he has estimated that not
L., <,f1 Ln, Frll
Prof. w. F. Barrett of Dublin states that
certain individuals have really appeared to
experience peculiar sensations when near
powerful magnets, and points out that the
magnetic sense which Sir VIM. Thomson
believes to exist may be apparent in some
persons and not so in all. He gives several
instances in which persons have been able
to tell, by an unpleasant sensation in the
head, when the electric current was passing
through an electromagnetic. By experiment
he has convinced himself that one gentle
man, at least, certainly does perceive the
influence of powerful magnet when his
head is near it, the keenness of the magne-
tic sense, if such it be, varying consider
ably on different days, and being most
acute in this person when he is suffering
from facial neuralgia.
In its cruise last summer off the coasts
of southern Europe and nothern Africa
the French steamer Talisman found sur
prising abundance of animal life at great
depths in the ocean. Many forms new to
science were brought on board. A remark
able feature of these creatures is seen in
their peculiar organs, some of the fishes
having curious m other Of pearl colored bod
les imbndded in the skin of the head, sides
OR back, and appearing to be producers of
light and possibly accessory eyes; while
others have long flamentous organs which
are brilliantly phosphorescent. On being
brought to the surface from the tremen-
dous pressure of the deep sea, the expan-
sion in the bodies of many fishes caused
their scales to fly off, their'eyes to be squeez-
ed from the sockets and their air-blad-
ders to be forced through their mouths.
The greatest depth from which fish was
taken was 2752 fathoms, specimen having
previously been secured by the Challenger
expedition from depth of 2734 fathoms.
Among the geological results of the French
party dredgings was the finding of polished
and scratched stones on the bottom be-
tween France and the Azores, showing that
icebergs must have existed in that part of the
Atlantic during the glacial period together
with the bringing up of rock fragments
bearing impressions of trilobites, which
may be taken as evidence of the former
existence of the traditional lost continent
Atlantics.