The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-05-15
Scientific Miscellany.

1
German research has shown that the
| mellowness of old wine is due to an in.
crease in it, proportion OF glycerine.
A German ornithologist, DIR. A. G. +.
Baldamus, has specimens of the nests
and eggs OF 2,O00spccies Of birds, mostly
European.
1t has been recently proven that
earthworms are capable of regenerating
tissue, large pieces cut from their
bodies being replaced by new growths.
A new spider, the female of which
measures six and half inches from tip
| to tip Of the fore and hind legs, has
been discovered in cave OF Tasmania.
In Birmingham, England, company
has been organized for the novel pnr-
pose OF distributing to the manufacturers
OF the town air strongly compressed at
central station.
De Candolle, tho French botanist
supposes that agriculture had its origin
in three widely separated regions.
namely, China, southwestern Asia and
Egypt, and the highlands of Mexico and
Peru.
After ten years of experiment, the
superintendent OF the porcelain factory
at Sevres, Mons. Dauth, thinks he has
produced porcelain identical with
that OF China, and far superior to the
famous old Sevres.
The number OF fossil plant species
now known Is estimated to be not less
than 5000, and may be considerably
greater. A catalogue of all which
have been described down to the pres
emit year is being prepared at the
National museum.
The discovery was recently announ-
ced OF . fossil air-breathing animal
OF an earlier age than any before known
"a scorpion from the upper Silurian
deposits of Sweden. A cockroach's
wing dating from still more remote
period middle Silurian--has since
been found in France.
An astronomical observation of an
earthquake was lately made by the
director Of the observatory at Nice,
France He was watching one of
Saturn's moons at the moment of the
shock, and the motion impaired to his
telescope caused the celestial object to
appear to move some fifteen or twenty
seconds to the right.
The plan OF electrically transmitting
power has been in practical operation
for more than eight months at Benne.
Switzerland. A turbine and dynamo
convert the power Of mountain tor
rent into electricity, which passes over
wires some 5000 feet to receiving
dynamo furnishing two shops with
their required six to eighteen horse
power ssrz ~ NJ ssAl- 1.IEg =
( IN. Tho. sesd1ef thaszsitesttsae of
which several varieties apc cultivated
In Boliyia-- correspondent of the
French academy announces the discov-
cry of'the, RICHEST Of all known grains
in nitrogfne0ls substances, lie Is con-
WINGED HAT the -four 6f-.ffis seed is
destined to become an important; arti-
Gle flood: A paste made from. it may
serve rs a'snbstitlite for milk.
Tho acknowledgements devised by
schoolmast6ri Of the 1sls.6f Man, is a
pair OF speaiacles in the rims Of which
are several micro photographs. each
proviied with little magnifyihg lens.
The instrument is worn as an ordinary
pair Of spectacles, and the yearer NAV
at any time see the pictures by slightly
turning his eyes. A public speaker
may thus have in view photographs of
his notes; a traveller, maps or tables of
Information; \ detective, a list of crimi-
nails Sought; and so on.
DR.. NJ. +. Wadsworth finds that the
assumption that the earth has "a hete-
rogeneous viscid, elastic, liquid interior,
irregularly interlocked with and grad
ually passing into lighter heterogene-
Gus crust accords better with geo.
logical facts than any other of the vari-
Gus hypothesis thus far advanced.
Contractions aud upheavals of the
crust, resembling in their effects what
Is sometimes seen in ice, would ,sa.ia
faotorily explain yoics+psps
quake phenomena. -