Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-12-19
Scientific Miscellany.

\ German botanist has given in
stances OF the modification of plants
by insects so as to produce new
varieties.
4 motor driven by small charges
Of cun.cotton is an English novelty.
It is said to be applicable wherever
small powers are required.
French astronomer has found
reasons for believing that circular
protuberance-presumably a volca-
no-which exists il the southern
hemisphere. of Venus has an eleva-
lion of not less than seventy miles.
He regards such vast mountain as
not incompatible with the planets
volcanic nature.
Successful experiments in dis
tributing the electric light to great
distances have been made in con-
nection with the Turin Electrical Ex-
Libition. \ Stem -, machine OF ~
HORSEPOWER gen l,el n current
which was simultaneously used by
several electric Light systems spread
over a circuit of about . miles.
MONEY VEGETArIoN.-As short time
since Paul Reinsch discovered sew
era! kinds of minute plants-includ-
ing two al2n which had before been
unknown-growins upon CONS al
ter having been long enough IN ciI-
culation to receive their incrustatlons
of organic matter. A Hungarian bot
anist, Jules Schaarschmidt, has more
recently found the microscopic
growths upon paper money, even
the cleanest specimens not being
free from them. He has detected
seven species, including-although
they are rare-the two new alg@
described by Reinsch.
WIND Work "A gale at East st.
Louis in 1871, according to Mr.. q.
Shaler Smith, overturned locomo-
tive, exerting force of no less than
90 pounds per square foot. At st.
Charles Jail was destroyed in 1877,
the pressure required being 81
pounds per square foot. AT St.
Charles a Jail was destroyed in 1877,
the pressure required being 81
pounds per square foot. AT Marsh
field, in 1880, a brick mansion was
leveled, the force necessary being So
pounds per square foot. Below
these extraordinary pressures, Mr..
Smith has instanced numerous eases
of trains blown off rails, and bridges,
etc, blown down, by gales of a to
81 pounds per square foot.
The TuEonY OF VACCINATION. -
Prof. Tyndall suggests that. just rs
the soil may be so effectually robbed
of some essential ingredient by one
abundant crop as to be incapable of
producing another, SO in the human
system parasitic disease may so
completely exhaust the blood of
some ingredient necessary to the
growth and propagation of the par
asite that the production of a Sec
ond crop in fatal or considerable
quantity may be impossible. 1t
would thus appear that protective
by incubation is simply the intro
duction into the blood of weakened
and comparatively harmless disease
germs to consume the material which
might become food for similar germs
in a more vigorous and dangerous
condition.
GREAT WoRMs. According 10 MI.
+. +. Beddard, London zoOlOgist,
earthworms two feet in length have
been found in the British Isles, and
various species as large or larger are
known to exist in South America,
Western Africa, Australia and New
Zealand. The largest species known,
however, inhabits South Africa.
Forty years ago u specimen was de.
scribed which measured six feet two
inches in length, but it seems to
have been nearly forgotten until the
other day, when a gigantic creature
OF the same species was sent to the
London geological Gardens from
Cape Colony. The longest measure
ment of this worm yet taken reaches
six feet five inches, its diameter be-
ing nearly half an inch.
PICTURES OF SoUND.-Some remark
able photographs of pistol bullet
in its dight-under the illumination
of an electric spark-have been Sc
cured by Prof. E. Mach, of Prague.
He has also photographed the air
streams which one may see over a
Bunsen burner placed in sunshine;
and has even obtained pictures Of
waves of sound, these last being
made visible by method in which
advantage is taken of the irregular
refraction Of light by air set in Vi
bration by sound. A wonderful
machine is on exhibition at the