The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-02-28
Srifttrr 3lntrn.

eSIIelIe GtuIRH.
Four new asteroids were discovered
IN 1888, increasing the number Of
known minor planets to 235.
! 1he French Association for the AL
Naucement of Science has recaiva1 =
oequeSt of $4,000, of which the inter1
est is TO encourage research concern-
ing the antiquity of man.
An English naturalist asserts that
lhe hedgehog cannot be poisoned
nei!her strychnine, arsenic nor prussic
dcid having any effect upon IT. II
GUS fangs. ' oiionA
The Swedish government. ava.
ready TO extend scientific aid to the
scientific Industries of the co;,ntrv
proposes establishing staten in ~,
north OF Sweden for the study of The
naive plants and the diseases of crons
In that section. u 'i'i''
orystalS OF oxygen have been pro-.
oas IN farls Ivy first iquefying the
sas uuuer great pressure and then,
lenoVlng the pressure. This giyee;
rise 10 great lowering of the temnerS
azure OF the liquid, and oxygen crvs.-
tails are formed in it. 'i''
Statistics show that blindness :.
teauiIy decreasing in Great Britain
10 70 !nought that the decrea1e NAV
ne rsltV attributed to improyement
Ia ire surgical treatment of eve affec.
lions, and to the diminished prevS-
renee among children Of smaII-poY
Dr. Moffat, in lecture at Glasgow
mas suggested chemical means of
framing the voice. He considers that
the beautiful vocal tone of Italian
people is IN some manner due tn tba
presence of pyroxide of HYDROGEN in
| the air and dew of Italy and has.
SHOWN experiments in which the inha--
iation OF chemical imitation of the
Italian ar has tended to produce in
INDIVIDUALS full, clear, rich and mel-
low tone of voice.
The copper-workers OF the E,enoh
village Ct Purfort inhale for twelve
hours-oally an atmosphere laden with,
| Sopper-dust, and their skin and hair.
pecolne dlscolored with copper. while
lhe metal can be discovered in their
secIetlons and excre!ions, and after
death In their bones. Yet, according
70 report by two Investigators to the
FRENCH academy of sciences. the.
1oppeI appears TO have no influence,
uPon Ghe ne nth OF these people. They
iieiUher suffer from special trade dis.
asses, nor are they protected against.
tons. anee~
A remarkable instrument is in usa
among The natives of theChiloe Jslands
dceordlng TO descrip ion oven by
% M Maciay to the Sinnee.1 Society
VI New south Wales. 1t consists
hn mt Oh the Shell OF Species of crab.
; ~. serves as KIND Of barometer, be-
ing very sensitive 10 afmosnhsrsc
changes, and forGtelling the annroanb
OF wet or dry weather. In drv weatbe-
the Shell is pe9rly white. buL small rcd
spots appear on il with the apn,oach
OF moisture, and increase in nIImhar
ana size AS the da1npness Increased
until, during the wet season il becomeS
completely red.
reports OF extremely low tempera-
oe'us should be received with caution.
faiiih1 rnometers are by no means IN
Ialllble. DR.. John Rae. F. RS teiIs
OF twenty Thermometers which were
tested by freezing mercury. and of
Whlch eighteen gave results ahont
TWO degrees too high, while two,
Deautlfully-finished instrumentS nv
LONDON maker of high repute. indi-
Sateu temperature about nineteen
utgrees below the true one. In addi-
aton 10 faulty construction. another
source OF error in spirit thermometer
10 Tue condensation of part of the spirit
III ~ Inc upper end Of the tube. and Dr
rsae States that the error produced in
ms way may amount to eight deglees
The chief signal officer has under-
taken an Investigation iato the nro.
gresS OF waves OF cold across tha
United States. Among the resnits
obtained thus far, it has been ascer.
tanned that. taking Fort Assinaboi
IN Montana, as starting poip.. the
TOUR cold waves of November 1881
averaged ten hours in reaching the
signal service stations at ST. Vincent
Mlpn., Huron, Oak, North Platte
NeD, and Cheyenne, Wyo.; twenty
l lt In travelling to Duluth. Mimi
r., Ia9i, Mlnn., Leavenworth. Kan
4tt 5in, TEX, and Santa Fe. N, M.
lit, Hit nonrs To Marquette, Mich. Mil,
TTausee' WIS, Chicago, ILL.,, Memphis.
renn henson, Tex, and Ctn:bo.
49, iprey nouIs to Erie, Pa, Pitts
on M, "a, Knoxville, Tenn. Vicks-
U .ud MISS and Brackettville, Tex.
1900 W IGOC4l6SIPT. N. "
" ashipgton, D. c., Charlotte n. c.
augusta, Ga, and Mobile, Ala.
Some English scientists have been
'rylng to explain why it is that persons
Who have become lost in a foo ~.
Tho are for any reason unable to see
helr way, usually walk in a circle in
tead OF following a straight line
hr. W. Sarden thinks that the canse
nay be found in q difference in tho.
treDgth Of the legs, the stronger Of
he two oat-walking the other whsn
ot controlled by the will. In conf;r-
nation of this view, Mr.. G. III. Dar.
IN recountS soine experiments in
m several school bows were hind
oioed and told to walk sfraiobt
mead. when the 'right-Ieeoedn ones
Ircled to the left and The "left-Iep9ed;s
nes TO the right, exactly as thew
lonld Go If the theory is correct
ME one boys who seemed TO he
either ght-legged nor Ieft-leeoed
Ut 20 use the two limbs with a60ut
luai 'aclllty, walked irIeaularly but
evIaled much less from a straight
:, IMAM any Of the others. An
Der writer, Mr. Thos. Hawksley.
opposes that lew persons have both
rs OF equal lengfh, in which case the
niger limb must have a tendency to
ltatrip the other in walking.
Inc German emperor's prize. award