The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-06-27
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
MAPPING THE UNITED STATES.

With the present organization of the United
States Geological Survey, according to Mr.. j.. w.
Powell, its map of the United States will be COM
pleted in about twenty-four years, about one-ffth
Of the country-exclusive of Alaska-having thus
far been mapped. Where the topography and
geology are simple, as in the prairies aud great
plains, the sheets of this map are made on scale
of 1850, 900, or about four miles to the inch /;
farther west, where both structure and topogra-
ply 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 scale OF
LIPS, 900, and the more densely populated por-
tions one of l-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 $500
sheets, besides several hundred special maps.
AN INTERESTING BIRD.
A living species of four-f footed bird, lnhabiting
the island of Marajo in the Lower Amazons, was
a short time ago described by Mr.. E. M. Brigham.
It is only during infancy that the remarkable
feature of this bird is seen, the two fore feet ap
pearing early in the development of the embryo
and continuing perfectly formed for several days
after Matching, when they are gradually she'd
The geological name of this curious creature Is
Opisthocoma cristdtd.
PLANTS UNDER THE ELECTRIC ARC.
After following up the experiments of Siemens
on the influence of the electric light on vegeta
tion. p. P. Deheraim, a French investigator, has
recorded these conclusions: The electric light
contains rays which are injurious to vegetation ;
the greater part of these rays are kept back Dy
Transparent glass the electric light contains, on
the other hand, sufficient rays useful to vegeta-
ton to maintain the life of plants entirely under
its influence for two and a-half months; this
amount of useful rays is, however, insufficient to
bring on young terminating plants, or to bring
fuTl-grown plants to maturity. Some very curl
ous effects of the naked rays were noted. Some
of the plants lost their leaves, some became spot
ted, weak and unhealthy, others turned DlacK,
while in the case of some elder shrubs the more
exnosed leaves we're blackened and the others re-
manned green. The outlines of the upper leaves
were in many cases impressed on those under
meath with Photographic clearness.
VINEYARDS SAVED BY EARTHQUAKES.
That earthquakes exert destructive influence
on the phylloxera insect OF the grape Is the opln-
ion of s. Villalongue, who has told the farls
Academy of Sciences of vineyard near Malaga
which had apparently been destroyed by the par
asite 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 par
tial success in photographng the aurora boreails'
a feat which his many failures had led MIN 10
pronounce impossible. After exposing plate for
eight and a-half minutes ne secured nega'ise =.
an aurora, but the impression is so very lalnt
that it cannot be reproduced as positive.
A REMARKABLE PRODUCT.
The seeds Of the kola tree, the hlgnly prizeu
stmulant of the natives of Africa, appear to pos
sess qualities which should give them CONNER
cial value in civilized countries. Mr. L: Cnnstle,
an English writer on new commercial plants ana
drugs, asserts that chocolate made with koia paste
ia ten times as nutritious that made with cocoa,
and that a laborer can work all day without
fatigue on single cup taken at breakfast tlme'
MISCELLANEOUS.
II has been shown experimentally that seed corn
is rendered more valuable by being slowly Kim
dried at high temperature, the corn so treateu
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
losing its terminating power.
The increase of suicide is scientifically ascribed
TO the fastness of modern life, to forced education
and to the increasing difficulty Of existence
Smallpox was accurately described by Khazes,
an Arabian physician, about A. ID. yOO. IL is
supposed to have been introduced into Europe by
the Saracens, and it was spread widely among the
Indians by the early explorers of America.
DR.. C. E. Saunders, of the West Herts Medlcai
Association in England, contends that cholera is
transmitted from one locality to another by human
agencies rather than by climatic causes Evil
dence of this is the fact that outbreak mas been
known to occur in less time than it would take
man to travel the distance from the nearest place
where
The annual meeting of the American Assocla-
ton for the Advancement of Science will open on
August 18th, at Ann Arbor, Mich, continuing
one week. The British Associations meeting
will be held at Aberdeen, Scotland, commencing
September 9th.
A remarkable specimen lately exhibited to the
London Geological Society was Brazilian snake lax
which had partly swallowed a live lizard. The
lizard had nearly succeeded in eating its way out
through the body of the snake when death over
took both creatures.
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 sub
stance converting half pint of sea water into
drinkable fluid. 1t is proposed to pack citrate OF
silver in the life-boats of oceangong vessels for
use in case of need.
During all seasons of the year, it is said, the
earth at Yakutsk, Siberia, is frozon from the
depth Of 80 feet to that of about 1000 feet.