The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1885-03-14
Scientific Miscellany.


It has been proven to the French
Association for the Advancement Of
Science that the surgical operation of
trepanning was practiced in prehis-
toric ages.
DIR. Sephus 'Tromholt, OF Norway,
Is about preparing catalogue OF all
the auroras which have been OBJ
served in Northern Europe from the
earliest times.
The re-planting of forests in North
western India has already made it,
self beneficially felt, according TO Sir
q. Birdwood, in increasing the rain
fall of various districts.
The deep sea Crustacea, accord
ing to Prof. Moseley, either have very
large eyes or are eyeless, and there
must be source OF light in the deep
sea. That source, he claims, is phos-
phorcsence, but its light must be
very dim.
The little living worms which have
been most unexpectedly discovered
in ice are described by Prof. Leidy as
being white or colorless, and from
one-fourth to one-sixth OF an inch
long by one-seyenty-ffth OF an inch
in thickness, the species being un-
known.
A Swedish naturalist, Or. Wills,
has investigated the strength OF va
rious kinds OF sea weed TO resist
strains, such as are caused by the
swell of the sea. He finds that sea-
weeds are very strong and elastic, the
parts which ordinarily lie lowest in
the water being capable of bearing
the greatest strain.
According to Sir Trevor.Lawrence,
M. p, there is a collector of orchids
in England who employs fourteen
persons-nearly all German natural
lists, and each costing about $4,000 a
year-to search for different species
and varieties in different parts OF the
world lie has two acres OF the plants
under glass, and his total annual ex-
penditure on orchids is nearly $780,
900.
To prove that DR.. Koch's comma
bacillus" is not the cause of cholera,
and that the vomit OF cholera pa
tients is not infectious, French
physician has swallowed some pills
made from the yomit OF q person who
died from cholera. He was only
slightly affected, il at all, but two
guinea pigs and dog which were in
oculated with the same vomit sue
cumbed at once.
A SOURCE OF PURE WArER.-m a
communication to the French Acad.
emy of Science, Mons. A. III. de Viii
1eneuve has urged the importance OF
using distilled water for drinking pur-
poses, and has suggested that the
cost may be greatly reduced by using
that obtainable from steam engi mes.
He asserts that il il not unpalatable
and contains sufficient air, while the
absence of lime salts is an advantage.
PROTECTED SoIL.-A German ex-
perimenter, Prof. Il. Wollny. has
found that soil covered with living
herbage or dead vegetable lmatter is
colder in summer and warmer in win
ter than bare soil under otherwise
similar conditions. The difference
Va eShibtidtuit 10 EttdttSt III Shiiihiti
and least in spring and autumn.
Bare hsoil heats more quickly in
the spring and cools more quick
ly in autumn than that covered
with living or dead vegetable matter.
RooTs TURNED ASIDE by GASES
1t has been demonstrated by DIR.
Hans Molisch that roots of plants
may be detected from their normal
direction by exposure on one side to
certain gases. Ii such gases are in
moderate quantities the roots bend
away from their source; if in larger
quantities, towards such source. The
side of the root exposed to the action
OF the gas grows more strongly than
the other.
EARTHQUAKE VELocITIEs.-In ex-
periments by Profs. Milne and Gray
1t has been determined that normal
earthquake waves are transmitted
through hardened mud at the rate Of
437 feet per second, and traverse
waves at 357 feet per second.
Malletts earlier experiments showed
that earthquakes traverse sand
and at speed of S35 feet,
jointed granite 1905 feet, and solid
granite 1,665 feet per second. Prof.
Ewing considers the last number to
be, very much too small.