Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-03-30
POPULAR SCIENcp

A French scientist bas
the effects Of altitude pn ossa siudyn
and concludes that for eao ss egeialio
ton of about 100 Yards tb thu aagnsa,s
q general average, retards ,t VIII b 1
days; that is. other circumsss.,SOa ollea
equal, crop planted at the 60 :, Oei1.
appear above ground four ds sa 'ese sia
similar crop planted $50 feet sbo oe'oe
The camphor laurel na,;r. ~
and the tree from which nv y Vhaa
camphor of commerce is obta .''Oss o. u
to have been introduced sne Meet ssers
California. one tree in Sacramsn,'sa d
attained height of thirty ' sa.. aaViag
wood, every part of which small Nv III
OF camphor, is ligh. and dn NJ sss'Ohg9
bable to injury from insects s~S %
favored by cabinet makers @"u mud
The treeless condition of n.,..
South American pampas = 80 !, y .
Plata region. at least-js attr;t n .e Z
Mr.. Arthur Nichols to the woS J~', !,
omnlpresent ant, which feeas \
leaves and quickly DESTROYS ~. wy wy
lings and other tender plants = -, ..' 80
the leaves appear above ground 'y ys
corn grows freely on these nl.,a ,uO'a
growth being so rapid that the ' :" 7
DO not succeed in completely devou,i,.
the young plants. V'0'
Microscopic organisms not o,,.
stroy the plant and animal forms fs!,; Y
to us, but they appear also to boil5 4
such forms, and to be necessary - d
very existence. A French bio,o~..
Mons. Duclaux, has Just made sorl
periments which tend to nrovs ~
plants will not terminate unless mic,oe.
exist in the soil; and Pasteur b,5 \
ready been led TO the conclusior Il, !, y
microbes are essential to animal M !.
digestion cannot be performed ups,,
they arc present.
One of the most remarkable oi, =,
discovered is that found in the Anco n
basin in Wyoming Territory. In a sbs6
put down on the east side of Bath Cnt
TO depth of twelve feet, oil flows n \
exceptionally high specific gravity. i
is, when first exposed, of brownsb
color, and can be cut with a knib lRs
soft butter. 1t gradually turns black N
exposure. 1t has little odor when / N,
comes from the shaft, though what q
capes on the south side Of the adoinpe
ridge has Il slight pungency, which I
loses on exposure.
In a recent official publication. he
chief signal officer has given a sammu
lied account of 1880 of the storms
which occurred from January, 1876, to
August, 1881. in a region embracing i
large part OF North America. the Allan
tic and Europe. OF these 413 began ard
ended in America; $50 began in Amera
and ended in the Atlantic; 1870 began b
America and crossed the Atlantic; "a
began and ended in the Atlantic; 55i
began in the Atlantic and ended in b
rode; and GO began in America AID
crossed the Atlantic and Europe.
Statistics collected by the America
Ornithologists' Union show that grgl
numbers of birds arc destroyed by flying
against the lighthouses of Cuba. It
Paredon Grande, more than 100 bids
were found one morning; in one night
last October 27S were killed by fyng
against the light house at Cardenasi iad
at the San Antonio lighthouse, moe
than 500 are sometimes picked up anf
a single nights destruction. Thus $
confirmed the view expressed by Prd'
Spencer F. Baird, twenty years ago, Ihs'
every autumn a great bird wave swesP
over from Florida to Cuba.