The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-05-23
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
AN INSECT GOLIATH.


The bird spider of tropical America, according
to French writer, has body as much as four
and one-fourth inches long, or diameter of seven
inches with the legs extended, and is the largest
of the several hundred known species of spiders.
Its nests those of the larger caterpars of
France, and consist of beautiful white silken
tissue of several thick layers and strengthened by
very strong threads capable of arresting a small
bird. In the centre are placed the eggs, perhaps
$500 or 1900 in number. The creature is very
powerful and is provided with formidable instru-
ments of attack, enabling it to destroy not only
young birds and adult humming birds, but large
Lizards and reptiles.
ALBINo INDIANS.
Several cases of natives OF India having white
skin have been reported. Mr.. A. 7. Fraser men
tions the finding of family in which several
white persons, resembling Europeans, had ap-
peared, the parents having the ordinary black
ness of natives. The wilderness was not result
of leprosy. The skin of the albinos is much more
sensitive to the suns rays than that of other
tives or even on Europeans. The contrast between
white and dark relatives having a striking re-
semblance of feature is said to be most remarka-
BILE.
CURIOUS EXPULSION OF A PARASITE.
The so-called "horse-hair snake" is known to
be parasite of the cricket. It becomes active
only under water, and a recent interesting state
ment by DIR. III. c. McCook makes it appear that
the crickets themselves aware of this peculiar
ity and seek to take advantage of it. A lady was
troubled by frequently finding the hair snakes in
her waterpails, and watched to learn how they
came there. She soon saw a large cricket mount
upon the edge of one of the pals bring the tip of
the abdomen just beneath the water, and, with
few violent throes, expel black mass, which re-
solved itself into one Of the worms. The cricket
seemed much exhausted by the operation.
A PLANT TRAVELLER.
plant allied to the lilies-of- the-valley, the
n Ia froxr
Every year knot forms upon its root and these
knots drag the plant about an inch annually
from its original position; so that in period of
twenty years the plant will have travelled about
twenty inches from its first location.
COLOR AND FLAVOR OF PLANTS.
Mr.. Emmett S. Golf believes there may be law
OF relation between color and flavor in fruits and
vegetables. A knowledge of such a law would
be of advantage to agrculturists in the selection
of the best plants for continued cultivation. Thus
far Mr.. Golf seems to have shown that light
colored flesh denotes milder and more delicate
flavor than exists in darker colored specimens of
the same varieties.
MISCELLANEOUS.
1t has been observed by Prof. Holdefeiss that
beet seed sown in plot in which the soil was ex
posed to the electric light terminated two days
earlier than similar seeds without the action of
the electric light. Another interesting observa
ton is that of Herr Scholer, who has noticed an
exceptional, luxurience of beets in small plot
which had been struck by lightning.
The metal gallium has been insulated by an in
dustrial process devised by DIR. L. Ehrlich, Ger
man physicist. Gallium melts at about 81 degrees
Fahrenheit, and, as its lustre is brighter than
that of mercury, it is thought useful application
may be found for it.
The use of vaseline as a substitute for butter
has been condemned in Paris. Its seems to
be an advantage to bakers becau it does not
become rancid, but it is injurious to health.
Certain snakes have been observed to utter
cry, like that of young puppy, on receiving an
electric shock.
Bermuda is supposed by some biologists to be
slowly sinking at the present time, but an inves-
tigation by Prof. Wm N. Rice shows that no sub
sidence has taken place since 16O9-the time of
the celebrated shipwreck there of Sir George
Somers, which event Shakespeare j. supposed to
have had in mind when he wrote "The Tempest"
popularity in workers in German silver
spoons is the color of the hair, which in time be-
comes dyed a pale green that requires years to
change. The particles of metal-which is chiefly
copper-also produce disease similar to con-
sumption.
Disease germs are probably much less affected
by extreme cold than might be expected. Ex-
periments have been reported to the Glasgow
Philosophical Society in which temperature of
120 degrees below zero was insufficient to stop
processes of putrefaction.
Ten years ago, according to Sir Frederick Abel,
the loss of petroleum spirit from leakage and
evaporation was as much as eighteen per cent;
but it has now been reduced to eight per
cent. in many storeEouses, and in Germany the
leakage is said to be less than one per cent.
A portable electric lamp, carrying electricity to
last twelve hours, has been produced.
One of DR.. Livingstone's early achievements
was the discovery of Lake Ngami, in South Africa,
which was then favorite resort of elephants and
other large animals. recent explorer of the
same region reports the lake dried up, leaving an
arid spot devoid of both game and vegetation.