The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-05-25
s.s..ss0c Notes.

The discovery Of a vein Of natural coke
at Los Cerrillos has quickened specu,a'h,v as
among biologists. This coke, wnicn Ia,
all the appearance OF the artificial proaue'
and burns clear and bright, Is found III u
vein three feet thick between stratum ~,
bituminous and Of anthracite coal. None OF
the theories respecting its formation wnioh
have yet been published appear to be qu''e
satisfactory.
"Thiophen IL the name given by frc-
fessor V. Meyer TO new substance wnich
he recently succeeded in separating from
benzine oils. This compound, when Is
still subjected TO laboratory experiment
and study IN the hope that important re-
suits will be obtained, presents the closest
analogy in general REACTIONS with benzlne'
Welding snlphuric acid, a methyl deriya-
| tive, &c. IL reacts with deketones to form
| a highly-colored substance.
Professor st. G. Mivart, in paper on
the relations between instinct and other
vital processes, contends that instinct can
not be divided by very hard and fast line
from such vital processes as reflex action,
processes Of repair after injuries, and the
process OF development OF the individual (;
and that these latter were more readily ex-
planned as activities especially instructive
than that instinct could be explained by
reflex action or by lapsed intelligence.
Japan has at present 155 miles Of rail-
road-from Yokohama 10 Toxic, Is miles !;
Kobe to Otsu. So miles; TsOngara. in the
Province OF Oomi, to Sekigahara, in the
Province Of Mino, Al miles; and Toxic to
Koumayai, 3S miles. There is besides in
tA,, IN
Maye-bashi to Toxic, a distance OF 81 miles.
The first three OF the lines named belong
to the japanese Government the others to
the Nippon Tetsudo kwaisha or Japan
Railway Company.
DR.. PoZzi, IN an article in the Revue
RAnthropolOqie de Paris, dwclls upon the
third frontal cOnvolutiOn OF the brain in
man, which he says was first definitely
shown by DR.. Z. Broca to be the seat OF the
organ OF speech. This function in thirteen
out OF fourteen cases is associated with the
left frontal, and in one out Of fourteen with
the right frontal, as has been proved by
| the loss OF the faculty OF speech known as
aphasia, or more accurately as aphemia,
which is due to LESSONS OF that portion OF
the brain. 1t is suggested by DR.. Pozzi
| that as a recognition OF The scientific i'm
portance OF the discovery made by Broca
! the third frontal convslution should hence
forth be named after the man who had de-
| termined its function.
The Nature reports a remarkable land
subsistence at Bona in Algeria. label
Naiba, an isolated mountain 800 metres in
height, is rapidly decreasing in altitude,
and considerable cavity is forming round
its base. The whole mass OF the mountain
i. evidently sinking. The neighborhood
OF Bona must, however, have formerly
been the scene OF similar phenomenon.
Lake Fezzara, which measures over r.
900 hectares in extent, had no existence in
the time OF the Romans. Its depth at the
centre is only 2.60 metres now. lnyestl-
cations made in 1870 disclosed the remains
OF Roman town lying in the lake. The
inference is that the town had sunk long
ago just as the mountain is sinking at the
present day.