Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-01-16
Scientific Miscellany.

A German investigator, Fl. R. Cop
pert, has made some experiments to de-
termine whether, as had been previous
ly stated, plants, bulbs and roots are
killed by sudden thawing, and not by
the preceding freezing. He submitted
potatoes and the bulbs of hyacinths.
narcissus, etc, to temperature of
about three degrees below freezing, and
then suddenly to fifteen degrees below
freezing. This killed all the bulbs,
whether they were afterward thawed
either slowly or rapidly, but none of
the bulbs were damaged by exposure
simply to three degrees below freezing,
the potatoes only being frozen. Ger
tain flowers which were tried were kill
ed directly when frozen, and could not
be revived by gradual thawing. The
buds of some woody plants bore tenn
perature of zero, or few degrees be-
low, and subsequent thawing at a de-
grees without injury.
A remarkable worm known to the
natives of the FIJI islands by the name
of "Mbalolo" and to naturalists as sa-
lolo virides-is found in certain of the
coral Archipelagos of the Pacific. The
worms appear periodically in great
numbers, and are highly esteemed by
the Fijians as an article of food. The
worms only make their appearance to
spawn, and the time is reported to be
the day of the last quartering Of the
moon in October, unless that falls at
the beginning of the month, in which
case there will intervene another lunar
month. There is, however, a second
appearance of salolo each year, occur
ing a month after the first, and proba-
bly, comprising such worms as were
not sufficiently mature to spawn in Oc-
tober.
A new electromagnetic, claimed to be
considerably more powerful than the
ordinary form, has been produced by
Mons. A. Ricco, of Palermo, Sicily. A
long strip of sheet-iron is rolled around
a nut of soft iron, oiled paper being
placed between the different layers of
the strip to isolate them. One pole of
the battery is connected with the nut,
to which the inner end Of the iron strip
is soldered, while the other is connect
ed with the outer end. The passage Of
the current through the strip magnet
ICES not only the nut but also each lay
er of the iron coil, which plays the
double role of conductor and magnetic
substance.
Recent researches have shown that
rapid motion has remarkable effect in
destroying the organic impurities in
water This leads Mr.. Mattieu Will
liams to remark that the steamboats, on
the Thames, of which complaints have
been made because they disturb the
bottom. are really very valuable agents
from sanitary point of view. for the
violent agitation they produce must
greatly lessen the rivers foulness. The
steam tugs which agitate otherwise
stagnant canals must also be regarded
as great benefactors.
The migration of birds in North
America is to be studied systematical-
ly by nearly one thousand persons, who
have engaged to act as observers, ac-
cording to plan proposed by the Or
nithologists' Union. About three hum
dred of these persons are the keepers
of lighthouses and light-ships in the
United States and Canada, and the 9TH
er British possessions on this conti-
nent.
An English electrical journal has dis
covered the following popular fallacies
concerning lightning, viz: That chew
ing the splinters from tree struck by
lightning will cure the toothache; that
such splinters will not burn; that the
bodies ofthose killed by lightning shock
do not become corrupt, and that no one
is killed by lightning while asleep.
A fine lioness in the Dublin Zoologi-
cal Gardens has shown a curious appe-
tite by commencing to deyour herself
She ate twelve inches of her tail at one
repast and has since nearly finished
that appendage. and has partially de-
voured one of her fore paws.
There are said to exist few sup
porters of the view that cholera is mere
ly an aggravated form of ague.