The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-12-25
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Much %Huorine is contained by the
teeth OF fossils. and very little by those
OF recent animals.
The eye in males has been found by
Mr.. f.. l.. Niclold To be more sensitive
to red. yellow and green than in fe-
males, but less sensitive to blue.
Some persons have Il defect of smell
analogous TO color blindness, according
to DIR. Carl Seller. In one case violets
smell like garlic, everything else SMELL
ing normally.
The most extensive region of heavy
rainfall in the British islands is report
ed by Mr.. A. Buchan to be the Vert
Highlands of Scotland. where the an
nual fall is over 80 inches. and at Glen
cOc has exceeded 12S inches.
-Four Arctic expeditions are already
projected in Europe for next year. OF
these one will be sent out by Holland.
n by Denmark. and two by Portugal.
The Russian islands will be visited by
all, but the Danish will specially explore
the Kara sea.
Traces of a prehistoric race have been
discovered in jamaica by Mr.. r. G.
Halliburton. From the skulls obtained
he judges that they We're people of great
natural intelligence, and he finds rea-
son for believing that their habits were
peaceful and industrious.
From his recent observations Captain
Pillsbury finds that the strength of the
current of the Gulf Stream is invariably
on the Florida instead of the Bahama
side OF the stream, and that the tenn
perature of this great 'river" i'm the
ocean ranges from ~ to 81 degrees.
The greatest velocity of the stream at
the surface is about four and Il half
knots, but the fluctuations are frequent
and considerable.
The Importance of fostering scientific
research is recognized by the republic of
Mexico, which has established Il Scien-
tilic Commission. composed of the most
learned men of the country. and design
eel 10 make Investigations in every tie
partmcnt of human knowledge. 1t is
making extensive collections of all the
natural productions of Mexico.
Successful experiments have been
made in joining and restoring the func-
tions of divided nerves. even nerves of
different function being used to replace
those partially destroyed. II is thought
that even sight and hearing may be re-
stored, after injury 10 the nerves on
which they depend, by bringing other
nerves into service by artificial union.
Several specimens of the Mexican pv-
rophorc were lately exhibited to the
Paris Academy of Sciences AZ a remark
able novelty. These insects are about
an inch long, and emit a light like that
of II g%low-worm or II FREELY. but vastly
more brilliant. The Indians of Mexico
are said to keep them for Il light mt
night. and Mexican ladies wear them rs
ornaments in the hair. BY feeding them
on sugar-canc they may he kept alive
for a long time.
From comparative experiments, Prof.
+. Wollny. the German investigator.
has shown the effect of weeds upon the
productive power of plants. Both guam
tity and quality of the crops were Seri-
ouSlv affected by allowing the weeds To
grow. the injury being the greater the
more slowly the plants were developed.
Peas and summer rape suffered least:
beans, maize and potatoes We're injured
to the extent of a. to &C per cent; and
DtttS SIlpNt't al lo>N VI ~ ItI Itlt.
Ozone, supposed TO be a very active
form of oxygen, has been thought to ex-
ert so beneficial an influence that an in
crease in the atmosphere's proportion
which rarely averages more than one
part in 700. 000-has been hailed as a
token of q particularly healthful climat-
Ic state. Towering plants-especially
the odorous kinds-and scented foliage
have been pronounced of hygienic value
because they generate ozone. A rather
surprising announcement. therefore, is
that of DR.. Daniel Diapers supposed
discovery that ozone produces pneumon-
ia, but it seems quite probable that the
gas which SO powerfully destroys or
ganic impurities may be proven by fur
ther research to act rs an irritant of the
lungs.