Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-05-09
POPULAR SCIENCE.


Professor Mall says that there are ia
be found associated with seams Of coal,
and especially with the underlying shale,
the fiattened impressions OF creatures
which once had life, though at first
strenuously doubted.
The day at Greenwich observatory
formerly began at noon, but now counts
from midnight, thus agreeing with the
civil day. The twenty four system has
been in operation for many years In
Greenwich. and the public clock outside
the observatory is divided after that
The anchorages of Narrakal and Al
leppy, in India, are stated to be perfect
lysmooth and quiet even when the sea out
side is tumbling in before strong south
westerly gales. TO explain this, DIR. w.
King mentions that analysis proves the
existence of oil In the muddy bottoms
of these anchorages, and he supposes
that there are deposits of petroleum.
either beneath the sea bottom or along
the coast, from which oil continually
oozes up, and Gains the otherwise
troubled waters.
Professor Richard A. Proctor, the as
tronomer, says that the rejection of the
theory that the suns heat is due to the
combustion in that body, and of the
suggestion that it may be due to chemi.
cal changes, leaves no recourse, so far as
our present knowledge extends, but to
regard the process of contraction taking
place within the solar globe as the true
source of all, or very nearly all, the heat
and light which the sun emits. In
word, he regards gravity as the cause Of
light and heat.
A remarkable phenomenon of the
North of England is there known as the
helm wlEd. A late description states
that it blows out of clouds which col
lect on the Pennine range Of mountains
and makes q rushing NOSE like the roar
OF the heavy sea breaking upon a rocky
shore. It's lifting force is so great that
It sometimes overturns vehicles, and takes
animals off their feet. 1t prevails chiefly
in the Carlisle district, and is seldom
felt at a greater distance than seven
miles from its apparent place of origin.
Were the human inhabitants of the
globe as numerous as are the humblest
of our servants, the earthworms, every
acre Of land would have to sustain a
great city. In his memoir showing the
importance of the work done by the
worms in fitting the soil for the use of
plants. Darwin estimated that 26, $50 of
the creatures existed in an acre Of old
pasture land, while Hensen gave the
number for garden soil as 90, 767 per
acre. Recent researches by Mr.. T. A.
Urquhart indicate that these figures are
much too low for some localities, as in
pasture near Auckland, New Zealand,
he has found 34S. $50 per acre, with an
aggregate weight of more than 600
pounds.
Professor Tyndall thus endeavors to
explain the immunity obtained against
second attack or a contagious case: One
of the most extraordinary and unac-
countable experiences in medicine was
the immunity secured by a single attack
of communicable disease against future
attacks of the same malady. Smallpox.
typhoid, or scarlatina for example, was
found--as general rule--to occur only
once in q lifetime of the individual. the
successful passage through the disorder
apparently rendering the body invulncr-
able. Reasoning from analogy, have
ventured to express the opinion that tho
rarity of second attacks of communica-
BILE disense was due to the removal from
the system, by the first parasitic crop, of
some ingredient necessary TO the growth
and propagation of the parasite.