Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1885-06-11
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Compiled for the woop RIVER T1NEs.l
With tho present organization Of
the United States geological survey,
according to Mr.. J. w. Powell, its
map Of the United States will be COM
pletcd in about twenty-four years,
about one.ffth OF the country-exclu-
sive of Alaska-having thus far been
mapped. Where the topography and
geology are simple, as in the prairies
and great plains, the sheets OF this
map are made on a scale of l. 5O, 900,
or about four miles to the inch. Far
Their west, where both structure and
topography arc more complex, spe-
cial districts are made to twice this
scale, and important mining districts
are drawn much larger. In the East,
more thinly settled sections are given
u scale of 1.125.OOO, and the more
lensely populated positions one of
1-62,5O0, or about one mile to the
inch. Upon this plan the whole of
the United States and Alaska will re-
quire not less than 1900 sheets, be.
sides several hundred special maps.
After following up the experiments
of Siemens on the influence of the
electric light on vegetation, P. P. De-
herain, French investigator, has re-
crded the Sc conclusions: The cleo
trio light contains rays which are in
injurious to vegetation; tho greater
part OF these rays are kept back by
transparent glass; the electric light
contains, on the other hand, sufficient
rays useful to vegetation to maintain
the life of plants entirely under its
influence for two and a half months;
this amount of useful rays is, how.
ever, insufficient to bring on young
terminating plants, or to bring full.
grown plants to maturity. Some very
curious effects of the naked rays were
noted. Some of the plants lost their
leaves, some became spotted, weak
and unhealthy, others turned black,
while in the case of some elder shrub
the moro exposed leaves were black
ened and the Others remained green.
The outlines of the upper leaves were
in many cases impressed on those un-
derneath with Photographic clearness.
A living species of four-footed bird,
inhabiting the island Of Marajo, in the
Lower Amazons, was short time ago
described by Mr.. E. NJ. Brigham. 1t
is only during infancy that the remark
able feature of this bird is seen, the
two fore feet appearing early in the
development Of the embryo, and con-
tinuing perfectly formed for several
days after Matching, when they are
gradually shed. The geological name
OF this curious creature is Opisthoco
ma Cristata.
The seeds of the kola tree, the
highly priced stimulant of the natives
of Africa, appear to possess qualities
which should give them commercial
value in civilized countries. Mr.. 7.
Christie, an English writer on new
commercial plants and drugs. asserts
that chocolate made with kola paste
is ten times as nutritious as that made
with cocoa, and that laborcr can
work all day without fatigue on sin.
gle cup taken at breakfast time.
That earthquakes exert destruc-
tive influence on the phyllo xera insect
of the grape is the opinion of S.
Villalongue, who has told the Paris
Academy Of Sciences of vineyard
near Malaga which had apparently
bee" destroyed by the parasite but
which vigorously burst into leaf after
the recent earthquakes in southern
Spain.
1t has been shown experimentally
that seed corn is rendered more valua-
bic by being slowly kiIn-dried at a
high temperature, the corn so treated
terminating in much colder weather
than would. otherwise be the case,
while, on the other hand, it may be
exposed to much greater heat without
losing its terminating power.
A remarkable specimen lately ex-
hibited to the London Geological So.
ciety was Brazilian snake which had