The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-05-30
Compiled for THE ARKASsAw TRAvKLKR.
 SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


 From experiments made in March. Fol and SarasiE conclude that in fine weather the last rays of light are dissipated in the Mediterranean at a depth of about 1.soo feet.
 In new French method of sugar-man. ufacture, which is attracting the attention of Paris capitalists, the use of beet-root is to be superseded by that of potatoes, the saccha- rine matter being extracted by the help of electricity.
 The relative value of different foods for soldiers is being carefully tested in the German army. One diet is tried at one reei- mental station and different die, at another. all food il addition 10 the prescribed rations being kept lJom the men.
 Artificial sponge made of cotton, reu- dered absorbent and treated with antiseptics --is recent English product. piece of the size of a walnu, has absorbed water un- til II has become as large as a cocoanut. Itis so cheap that II need not be used a second time.
 A French commission has found thar the most violent explosion in mines occurs when there are thirteen parts of air to 100 of firedamp, and that above or below this the force diminshes. When the mixture is be- low seven parts in 100, or above 18 in 100. the gas simply burns.
 As tlssue-exhaustion-resuiting from toll, Privation or anxiety-promo:es the de- velopment of cancer, an English medical authority thinks the marked increase in the death-rate from that disease during the last half century may be readily explained by glance at the history of our laborious age.
 Although very rare before, a great number of moderate earthquakes were re- corded in Tasmania during 1885 and 1884, nearly Ioo having been felt at St. Mary's in single month of last year. These small shocks evidently originate 100 miles or more out to sea, and are seldom felt outside ofihe northeastern part of Tasmania
 Miss E. A. Ormerod, EpgIands we'll known entomologist, reports that her many correspondents all agree that sparrows will not feed on insects when seeds, grain, fruit and other vegetable food is within reach. She therefore advocates judicious destruc- ton of the house sparrow for the protection of crops, but is careful 10 show that the ob- lecuon does not extend 10 other small birds
 Fish as Brain Food. - Sir Henry Thompson, the eminent English physician, declares that there is no foundation whatever for the common notion that fish diet tends eSnRcially n fSA he he recommends fish for brain workers, be- cause il contains in smaller proportions than meat those materials which, taken abun- dantly, demand much physical labor for their complete consumption, and which, with cut this, produce an unhealthy body and sluggish brain. That is, fish is particularly suitable for persons who are unable 10 take much exercise.
 Extent of the Visible Universe q clear night about ooo stars are visible to the naked eye. like number in the opposite hemisphere makes total of about $ 900 that can be seen without glass. These are d;- vided, according to their apparent bright ness, into six classes, 20 ranking as first magnitude stars, $ as second magnitude. 200 as third, 45o as fourth, 100 as fifth, and about 4,ooo as sixth. The telescopic stars. unseen by the unaided eye on account of their remoteness, are classified as high as the fourteenth magnitude, and their number is vastly greater, being reckoned as high as 20 100000.
 Effect of Acid Fumes on Plants Schroeder, in Germany, has been investigat- ing the influence upon vegetation of the acid fumes which are present in a smoke-lader He finds that one part of sul- phurous acid in 54 GOO of air is capable of occasioning serious damage to plants in short time. They are less sensitive to hydro chloric acid. Coniferous trees are most sensitive to sulphurous acid, then deciduous. trees, while ordinary seld-plants resist long est. Oaks, planes, elms, poplars and noun 'ain-ashes resist better than birches and oeeches. Fruit trees are very sensitive: plums and cherries more SO than pears and apples.
 Bee Bee-Meteorology.-Numerous obser- Tations have shown Emmerig, a German scientist that bees, otherwise gentle and harmless, become exceedingly irritable and ,xefable on the approach of thunderstorms nc se thinks that their conduct may be aken as reliably indicating whether storm impending over a certain district or not. In succession of instances, the barometer and iygrometsr foreiold a storm, the bees re- naming quiet and no storm occurred; or he instruments gave no intimation of a storm 'ut the bees for hours before were irritable nd tEe storm came. With regard to rain aerely, the barometer and hygrometer are afer guides than bees but in the case of nuncerstorm the indications of the bees ap- ear to be more trustworthy,