Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-06-10
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Compiled for the SPECTATOR.

| SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY. 49,
| TCompiled for the SPECTATOR. .,.,f
| MAPPING THE UNITED STATES With
the present organization of the United
States Geological Survey, according to Mr..
J. W. Powell, it's map of the United States
will be completed in about twenty-fonr
years, about one-fifth of the country-ex-
elusive of Alaska-having thus far been
mapped. Where the topography and geol-
ogy are simple, as in the prairies and great
plains, the sheets of this map are made on a
scale of 1850, 900, OF about four miles to
| the inch; farther west, where both structure
| and topography are more complex, special
| districts are made to twice this scale, and
| important mining districts are drawn much
| larger; while in the east the more thinly
settled sections are given a scale of 1-125,-
900, and the more densely populated por-
lions one of 1-62, 500, or about one mile to
| the inch. Upon this plan, the whole of the
United States and Alaska will require not
| less than 1900 sheets, besides several hun
| dred special maps.
| AN INTERESTING BIRD.-A living species
of four-fo bird, inhabiting the island of
Marajo in the Lower Amazons, was short
time ago described by Mr.. E. M. Brigham.
! 1t is only during infancy that the remark
able feature of this bird is seen, the two fore
| feet appearing early in the development of
the embryo and continuing perfectly formed
| for several days after Matching, when they
are gradually shed. The geological name
of this curious creature is opisthocoma c,is-
| tdta.
| 1t has been shown experimentally that
| seed-cOrn is rendered more valuable by be-
ing slowly kiln dried at a high temperature,
the corn so treated terminating in much
colder weather than would otherwise be the
case, while, on the other hand, it may be
exposed to much greater heat without los
| ing its terminating power.
The increase of suicide is scientifically as
cribed to the fastness of modern life, to
| forced education, and to the increasing diff
ficulty of existence.
PLANTS UNDER THE ELECTRIC ARC.-Af-
ter following up the experiments of Siemens
on the influence of the electric light on
vegetation, P. P. Deherain, French inves-
| tigator, has recorded these conclusions:
| The electric light contains rays which are
| injurious to vegetation; the greater part of
| these rays are kept back by transparent
glass; the electric light contains, on the 9th
er hand, sufficient rays useful to vegetation
| to maintain the life of plants entirely under
its influence for two and half months; this
amount of useful rays is, however, insult
| ficient to bring on young terminating plants,
or to bring full-grown plants to maturity
Some very curious effects of the naked rays
were noted. Some of the plants lost their
| leaves, some became spotted, weak ard IN
healthy other turned black, while in the
case of some elder shrubs the more exposed
| leaves were blackened and the others re-
| NAMED green. The outlines of the upper
| leaves were in many cases impressed on
| those underneath with Photographic clear
ness. .-.,,..t. .sll.... .....
| VINEYARDS SAVED BY EARTHQUAKES
| That earthquakes exert destructive influ-
ence on the phylloxera insect of the grape
| is the opinion of S. Villalongue, who has
told the Paris Academy of sciences of a
| vineyard near Malaga which had apparent
ly been destroyed by the parasite but which
vigorously burst into leaf after the recent
| earthquakes in southern Spain.
A PHoToGRAPH OF THE NORTHERN
LIGHTS. Prof. Tromholt, in Norway, has
met with partial success in photographing
the aurora borealis, a feat which his many
failures had led him to pronounce impossi-
BILE. After exposing plate for eight and
half minutes he secured negative of an
aurora, but the impression is so very faint
| that it cannot be reproduced as positive.
| Small pox was accurately described by
Rhazes, an Arabian physician, about 900
duced into Europe by the Saracens, and it
| was spread widely among the Indians by
| the early explorers of America
| A REMARKABLE PRoDUCT seeds of
the Kola tree, the highly priced stimulant
of tie natives of Africa, appear to possess
qualities which shonld give them COM
mercial value in civilized countries. Mr.. 7.
Christie, an English writer on new CONNER
cial plants and drugs asserts that chocolate
| made with Kola paste is ten timcs..as nutri-
tious as that made with cocoa, and that a
laborer can work all day without fatigue on
single cup taken at breakfast time.
| DR.. G. E. Saunders, of the West Herts
Medical Association in England, contends
that cholera is transmitted from one local
ity to another by human agencies rather
| than by climatic causes Evidence of this is
the fact that no outbreak has been known
| to occur in less time than it would take a
man to travel the distance from the near
| est place where the disease already existed.
| The annual meeting of the American AS
ISOLATION for the advancement of science
| will open on August Goth, at Ann Arbor,
Mich, continuing one week. The British
Associations meeting will be held at Aber-
deem, Scotland, commencing September
9th. t..-. "a ..s5s9 4, +
A remarkable specimen lately exhibited
to the London Geological Society was Bra
lillian snake which had partly swallowed
live lizard. The lizard had nearly succeed
ed in eating its way out, through the body
| of the snake, when death overlook both
creatures. & - @.fr *
The salts of sea- water, according to Prof.
w. G. Williamson, F. R. s., are rendered
inert by the addition of citrate of silver, an
ounce of that substance converting half a
pint of sea water into a drinkable fluid. 1t
is proposed to pack citrate of SILVER in the
life boats of oceaa- going vessels, for use in
case of need. 5aag 31f saysa aaarIAf3
During all seasons of the year, it is said,
the earth at Yak utsh, Siberia, is frozen
from the depth Of fifty feet to that of about
1000 feet. +~.77t5 ss-r ..ie= - "a ageeg
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