Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1884-07-10
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

vorite camping grounds of Indians. A
portion Of the town Of Cedar Keys, where
the largest accumulation is found, is built
on great mass Of oyster shells. Human
bones, stone implements and fragments
Of pottery are frequently discovered among
the shells. The site Of an ancient manu-
factury of arrow-heads or other imple-
ments may be seen on Johns Island, at
the mouth Of the Checsowiska river
Several bushels Of chips are here scatter
ed about, all made of ebert rock, the
only material in Florida suitable for the
purposes Of the Indians.
The French Minister of Education and
the. Fine Arts has proposed placing a
large Government domain, located at
Villeneuve- Etang, at the disposal of Mons
Pasteur, for the prosecution of his scien-
tifc investigations.
Mons. Il. Il. Blavier, the eminent
French electrician, associates earth cur
rents-which at times so powerfully af-
feet telcgraphic operations and the ma
rner's compass--with trade winds, and
thereby indirectly with the sun. He
favors De la Rive's theory that the aurora
borealis is due to the circulation of cleo
trio currents in the higher regions of the
atmosphere.
Although the present theoretical limit
Of visibility with microscopes is fixed at
1868 lines to the inch, Mr.. +. Bausch
remarks that there is no reason why we
should not attempt to pass this point.
The limit which was accepted some years
ago as the true one was considerably
lower, and most microscopes refused to
believe that test object having 100 600
lines to the inch could be resolved, while
it is now the work Of beginners to do SO.
One objection to the volcanic dust
theory Of the ''red sunsets" has been that
the dust could not have reached great.
er elevation than few thousand feet
quite insufficient for the production Of the
sky effects witnessed. A late commune
cation to the Royal Society of Dublin
states that Capt. Thomson, whose vessel
was in the Sunds Straits last August
was able to compute the height to which
dust was thrown by the Krakatoa erup
ton. Directly after the first explosion
which occurred at 2 pm. on Angus
26th, and was followed by others will
gcyser-like regularity at intervals Of tel
minutes--a column of dust arose, an,
was soon found to have reached an alti
tude Of seventeen miles. A somewha
doubtful observation three hours late
gave the height at twenty -onc miles.
A plant called happe, indigenous t
Java, was exhibited short time ago a
Amsterdam. When its fibre is CAREFUL
prepared it resembles wool, and whcl
curled it forms an inexpensive stufin
for mattresses. 1t may also be spun an
dyed, and with improved methods q
treatment may prove valuable as textil
material.
Specimens Of vegetable carbon whic
have been made conductive and incom
bustible by being strongly heated in a
atmosphere free from oxygen, have bee
exhibited to the Electro Chemical Societ
Of Berlin. This artificial graphite doc
not assume the crystalline structure Of tn
native mineral.
The researches of DR.. F. w. East, al
English physician, have shown that in
lection may be conveyed in moist AM
quiet atmosphere from smallpox hospit
ais to houses in the vicinity. Other oh
servers are inclined to believe that othe
diseases which are known to be sprea,
BY the air owe their transmission solel,
to the influence of moisture.
German experiments have proven tina
sea-weed is . much better fertilizer 70
rye and oats than farm yard manure.
The remarkable fact has just bee,
demonstrated that railways may be tn
means Of enriching the fora Of place
through which they pass. The exten
sion, in 1873, Of an imp' rtant road int
the province Of Helsingland, Sweden, ha
been followed by the immigration alons
the line Of no less than seven species o.
plants which were before unknown in
districts where they now appear. One
species seems to have been spread twenty
miles along the railways course in 1882
and about one degree during the las,
four years.
Dr.. Sophus Tromholt reports that the
electrical forces which produce the aurora
borealis have very little energy in Iceland,