Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-15
BITS OF SCIENCE.

Prof Milne suppose earth trr mOrs to
be ''slight Migratory motions produced in
the soil by the bending and cracking OF
rocks, caused by their rise upon the relief
of atmospheric pressure" Another in
vestigatOr thinks that they may be the
result of an increased escape Of vapor
from molten ma terial beneath the crust
OF the earth consequent upon relief Of
external pressure. In othG: words, these
premonitOry symptoms are developed
when the barometer is low.
Slightly soiled white wooden articles,
knitted or crOcheted, may be made to look
as well as new if they are carefully rubbed
in -four. Cover them with -four and rub
gently as il washns uatii the -four be-
comes dark. Shake out the article and
rub In clean -four until al the soil is re-
moved. Shake Tell and hang in the wind
until no atom of flour remains in the
wool. OF course, one would not care TO
cleanse in this way articles that are worn
next to the body, but for shawls, capes
and head coverings -four answers admit
rab'y.
In the open air, mineral coal is liable to
crumbling, and often to spontaneous COM
bustion. An Austrian mining engineer.
WenzeI Poech, has discovered simple
and inexpensive means of preventing loss
from such sources, the plan consisting
chiefly in treating the coal pile with steam
for the exclusion OF the air and securing
a permanent retention OF moisture. TIE
theory is that the absorption OF oxygen
and other gases, for which the way is
opened by the evaporation of the hydro
scOpic moisture, causes the deterioration
of the coal, and This cannot happen if the
coal is kept full of water.
1t is proposed to throw bridge over
the Strait Of Messina between Capdel
PeZzO and Ganzirri, where the channel is
two and one-half miles wide and the
greatest depth of water 36l feet. The via
duct, made entirely of steel, at height
of 1913 feet above the water, is to rest on
two land towers and three piers each
1,090 yards apart. For the three piers the
foundations are to be of granite ballastup
to about 70 feet OF the surface of the water
and of granite masonry up to 33 feet above
the surface OF the water. Besides space
for double line Of rails, the viaduct is
to be wide enough to afford room for a
roadway suitable for ordinary carriage
traffic.
The French Minister of Agriculture
some time ago commissioned professor
of the College de France to experiment
upon the best method of destroying the
winter eggs of the PhyllOXera, it having
been ascertained that that line of attack
WAS Tue UOSb eulCleub III u6dll0R Win
that terrible scOurge of the vineyard.
After several trials a mixture of oil,
naphtha, Cuicklime and water has been
tested on a large scale with the most sue
cessful results. 1t was, of course, easy
enough to hit upon chemical compound
which would kill the eggs, but not so easy
to fad one which would not destroy the
vine at the same time. Theremedy Is not
only efficient but cheap.
The simplest method of taking nourish-
ment by animals is by absorption through
the skin. The tapeworm, for example,
has neither mouth nor stomach, but i'm
bibes the digested food of the animal it
infests. Many other animals, especially
insects, live upon liquid TODD, but obtain
it by suction, through a special Oritice
and tube. Thus we find mouth or suck
er, furnished with teeth or lancing the
skin of ANIMALS, as in the leech; bris-
tle-like tube fitted for piercing, as in the
mosquito; sharp sucker armed with
barbs, to nix it securely during the act of
sucking, as in the louise, and long fleXi-
BILE prObOscis, as in the butterfly. Bees
have a hairy channeled tongue, and flies
have one terminating in large, fleshy
knob, with or without little knives at the
base for cutting the skin; both lap rather
than suck their food.