Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-04-08
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
rCompiled for the SPECTATOR.

1851 by three workmen of Blois on break
ing open large piece of flint. The strength
of the eviderce thus presented leads him
to insist that it is unwise to pronounce the
phenomenon absolutely impossible, al
though none of the reported cases are quite
beyond the suspicion of fraud. To explain
the occurrence, if genuine, it seems neces-
sary to suppose that the creatures have ex-
listed in their close prisons during the un-
numbered years in which the plastic mate
rial has been hardened into rock. That
they may endure a somewhat prolonged
confinement was shown by Seguin, who, IN
1922, enclosed toad in a plaster covering,
and found the reptile alive and in good con-
dition on breaking the shell ten years later.
DR.. A. Hughes Bennett states that theme,
caffeine, theobromine, and quarantine, when
administered hypodermically, appeared to
him in 1872 to have the same physiological
properties as cocaine. He thinks, there
fore, that one of them may furnish COM
paratively cheap substitute for the ex-
tremely costly local an@sthetic.
The lowest recorded temperature-3e3
degrees below zero Fahr.-has been pro-
duced by Olszewski by vaporizing liquid
nitrogen under low pressure. Liquid car
bon monoxide gave 365 below zero, and
liquid oxygen 246a.
Several pots of hyacinths having been
placed in circle around the pipe of a
stove, Mons. G. Barthelemy found that
taking an almost horizontal direction to-
ward the pipe as common centre of at
traction.
| JAPANESE SEIsMoLoGY.-An exhaustive
report on 1877 earthquakes observed in
North Japan during period of two years
has been made by Prof Milne, of Toxic.
He finds that 254 of the shocks were not
felt over greater area than so square
miles, the average diameter of the land
surface affected by the remaining 1873 being
As miles, although four or five of them en-
braced land area of about "A, 900 square
miles. Some of the disturbances took
place simultaneously in areas remote from
each other, while intermediate stations did
not feel them. About "a per cent. of the
earthquakes originated under the sea. The
district most shaken was the fiat alluvial
plain around Toxic, which geological evil
dence shows to have been recently and rap
idly elevated from the depths. 1t is re-
markable that shocks were comparatively
rare in the mountains and near active vol
canoes. The earthquakes were much more
numerous and severe in winter than in
summer.
The Chinese regard an attack of epilepsy
as the occupancy of a mans body by the
spirit of an animal, usually a pig or sheep.
They try to keep such spirit by stuffing the
patients mouth with grass, for if it leaves
before the return of the mans own spirit
which must be absent during the fit-the
man will die.
A Liverpool dealer has received an order
for 100 electric cells, which are desired for
the purpose of scientific investigation of
the peculiar power of these creatures.
Good reasons have been noticed, it is stated,
for doubling that the shock given by them
is really produced by electricity.
Among the many prize offers of the
French Academy of Sciences is sum
equivalent to about $40, 900, which was left
by Breant in lS49, and is still unawarded
1t is to be given to the person who shall
find an effective remedy for Asiatic cholera,
or shall indicate with absolute certainty its
causes.
THE THREE HORNED Ox.-Dr. A. T. de
Roche bruno has described to the Paris
Academy of Sciences well-estabished
variety of domestic OK, which is peculiar to
Senegambia, and is characterized by a third
horn growing from the nose and identical
in constitution and development to the two
frontal horns. The animals are very liable
to epizootic peripneumonia, and from time
immemorial the Moors and Fulahs of Sene-
gambia have practsed upon the creatures
preventive incubation with the virus of
that disease.
INSECT RoBBING BIRDs.-Mr. VIM Da-
vison has reported to the Governor of Mad
ras that there are in India two species of
wood peckers and two of kingflshers
which breed in the nests of ants. 1t is not
known whether the insects ultimately dis
appear as result of the invasion, but they
have been found still in the nests consid-
cradle time after the laying of the birds
eggs. In one instance the klngishers were
seen inhabiting hornets nest, and ap-
pearing to be on good terms with the hor
nets.
A French botanist, Mons. Fonssagrives,
asserts that poisonous gases are given off
by both growing and harvested fruits such
as apricots, oranges, and quinces-and
death by poisoning resulted from sleeping
in rooms exposed to such emanations. A
similar deadly gas-evidently connected in
some way with vegetable odors-is given
off by sweet-soented flowers and odorifer-
GUS leaves
| In recent experiments Mons. Reinau
found that iron reaches its greatest strength
at temperature of 554 degrees Fahr,
when it is thirty per cent. stronger than at
6S degrees. Beyond 626 degrees the strength
rapidly diminishes, and at 500 degrees is
only thirty per cent, as great as at IS de-
grees.
Wet and dry seasons SO differently affect
the wings of butterflies in India as to cause
broods of the same insect to be taken for
distinct species.
A HARD WINTER ON Wharf.-The wheat
crop of the country in the North and North
west is said to have suffered very severely
during the past Winter, and of the truth of
this there seems to be no reasonable doubt.
1t is also stated that there will be short
crop at the South, in which event it will
be found that farming, as contra. distin-
guished from planting, is the true form for
our agricultural industry 10 t IKE. He who