Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1884-12-04
Scientific MISCELLANY.

A late investigation shows that Aus
.ralia contains l0S species of snakes
IS of them harmless, and 73 vcnomous.
At the Danish scientific station in
South Greenland, at Namortalik, heat
and mosquitoes in summer are so
troublesome as to be suggestive of Il
tropical climate.
Attention has been drawn to tree
Of Southern India-the "Tuchmig" of
the Chinese or Prameria glandulifera
)f bOtaniSts-frO which it is said
large supplies of caoutchouc can be
drawn.
Quite successful experiments in dis
tributing the electric light to great
distances have been made in connec-
tion with the Turin Electrical EXhibi.
ton. A Siemens dynamo of thirty
horse power generated n currant
which was simultaneously used by
three electric light systems distributed
over a circuit of q miles.
St, Stephens college, Delhi, boasts
Of a prodigy in the person of Il blind
student named Chanda Singh. He
cannot read or write, but has such n
wonderful memory as to he able to re-
peat all his text oks-English,
French and Urdu--by rotc, and to rap
idly work out sums in arithmetic, even
the multiplication of any number of
figures by another equally large.
Authorities are not agreed concerning
the poisonous properties of the aniline
dyes. Dr. Grandhomme, who has had
the benefit prolonged observations in
German anilinG is Of the opinion that
they are poisonous only when contain
ing arsenic. Mcssrs. Poincase and
Nassias however, consider them dang.
crous even in a state of purity, magen-
ia being the least dangerous of all.
In recent experiences, the images oi
candles were seen through the clear
water of Lake Geneva when sunk tC
depth of about 100 feet, the electric
arc being still visible when some tel
feet lower. At grcaterdcpths the cleal
images disappeared, being replaced by
dihuse light, family pcrccptiblc when
the luminous bodies had reached lit
tie more than 200 feet in depth. Sun
light affects Photographic plates afteI
passing through Il thickness OF abou
800 feet of the water.
The littlcness of any one per.
sons knowledge is astonishing.
do not even know IN astrono
mer," says Mr.. Richard a. Proc
tor, "who is not ignorant in some de
partmcnts of his own subject; nor an,
chemist, gcologist, botaniSt, etomolo
gist, or other specialist, who-if reall,
Il master-will not admit that thor,
are departments of his special suhjcc
about which he knows very little. How
much more ignorant must he be o
subjects outside the few he can hay
made his own.
The governor Of the Island Of Samo
has Just discovered an ancient tunnel
about 5000 feet long, and constructe,
at least nine centuries before tn
christian era. The old seaport receive,
its drinking water through this tunnel
which was mentioned by llcrOdotuS
1t is well preserved, with water tube
about ten inches in diameter Til
precision of the work of the ancien
engineers was hardly equal to that O
the present day, the tunnel being ben
in the middle.
The planet Neptune, it will be re
mcmbered, was discovered in a TT
markablc manner, its place in tn
heavens having been mathematical
determined before thcplanct itself wa
found. After long investigation Mons
Camille Flammarion, the eminen
French astronomer, has become cor
vinCed Of the existence OF yet anOthe
planet, its orbit being outside that {
Neptune. He predicts that it wi
be finally discovered, but not for som
years to come, and that it will appca
, as star of the twelfth magnitude
quite large enough to be seen and 70
lowed by many telescopes now in ust
Travellers in polar regions hay
. survived exposure to a cold as grca
as Is degrees below zero Fahrrnhci
. On the other hand, the Inhabitants {
r some parts of the globe are forced
= endure at certain periods a naturi
I06 6rrrc". aboyr 1nro S7iiI grno
: or rTi bcoITNorcatcr % even Than 9oo dsgrc
: n,oy be hnrnc Inv ,bo human 1nd
: ,ora ,"' sLnr, ,in,n hrnrs,rr ',, nnor,in, @
tI u'at Chantr,, ,' and Grn or "t,N fr;oN,
rn",oinoJ n, D .,ro ,,inr,ns "i, in ,ho scrlm,nr
Irrinr fnrn,cc r"" % hringing in ,"I ont = tba
U,Sna;ar W. ~ ,,.hioL s,nnj a., 400 d",rno
T. Than,rr, ] ""rom n."rl.n,on ~ ", on1oroJ5 MO II Il