The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-04-25
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
RocK.MpR1soHEp roAps.


A french writer gives long list of apparently
well authenticated instances of the finding of live
toads in solid masses of stone referring in partic
ular to such discovery made in 1851 by three
workmen Of Blois on breaking open large piece
of flint. The strength of the evidence thus pre-
sented leads him to insist that it is unwise to pro-
nounce the phenomenon absolutely impossible,
although none of the reported cases are quite be-
yond the suspicion of fraud. To explain the oc-
currence, if genuine, it seems necessary to sup
pose that the creatures have existed in their close
prisons during the unnumbered years in which
the plastic material has been hardening into rock.
That they may endure somewhat prolonged con-
fnement was shown by Seguin, who, in 1922, en-
closed toad in a plaster covering, and found the
reptile alive and in good condition on breaking
the shell ten years later.
JAPANESE sEIsM0LoGY.
An exhaustive report on 3S7 earthquakes OBJ
served in North Japan during period OF two
years has been made by Prof. Milne, OF Toxic.
He finds that 254 of the shocks not felt over
a greater area than so square miles, the average
diameter of the land surface affected by the re-
naming 1873 being As miles, although four or five
of them embraced a land area of about A, 100
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 ORR
ginated under the sea. The district most shaken
was the fat alluvial plain around Toxic, which
geological evidence shows to have been recently
and rapidly elevated from the sea depths. 1t is
remarkable that shocks were comparatively rare
in the mountains and near active volcanoes. The
earthquakes were much more numerous and severe
in winter than in summer.
THE THREE-HoRNED OK.
Dr. A. T. de Rochebrune has described to the
Paris Academy of Sciences well-established va
riety of domestic OK, which is peculiar to Sene-
gambia and is characterized by third horn
growing from the nose and identical in constitu-
ton and development to the two frontal horns
The animals are very liable to epizootic peripneu-
monia, and from time immemorial the Moors and
Fulahs of Senegambia have practised upon the
creatures preventive incubation with the virus OF
that disease.
INSECT RoBBING BIRDS.
Mr.. VIM. Dawson has reported to the Governor
of Madras that there are in India two species OF
woodpeckers and two of kingfshers which breed in
the nests of ants. 1t is not known whether the
insects ultimately disappear as result Of the in
vasion but they have been found still in the nests
considerable time after the laying of the birds
eggs In one instance the kingfshers were seen
inhabiting hornets nest, and appearing to be on
good terms with the hornets.
MISCELLANEOUS.
DR.. A. Hughes Bennett states that theme, car
feline, theobromine and quarantine, when admins
tered hypodermically, appeared to him IN 1917 70
He thinks therefore, that one of them may furnish
comparatively cheap substitute for the extremely
costly local ansesthetic.
The lowest recorded temperature-393 degrees
below zero Fahr.-has been produced BY Olszewski
by vaporizing liquid nitrogen under low pressure
Liquid carbon monoxide gave 365 below zero, and
liquid oxygen 2463.
Several pots of hyaeinths having been placed
in a circle around the pipe of stove, Mons. T.
Barthelemy found that the roots were drawn &c
the source of heat, taking an almost Horizontal
direction toward the pipe as a common centre Of
attraction.
The Chinese regard an attack of epilepsy the
occupancy of mems body by the spirit OF an
animal, usually pig or a sheep. They try &c
keep such spirit by stufhng the patients mouth
with grass for if it leaves before the return OF thu
mans own spirit-which must be absent during
the it-the man will die.
Liverpool dealer has received an order to
100 electric eels which desired for the pecuha
power of these creatures. Good reasons have peer
noticed it is stated, for doubling that the shocl
given by them is really produced by electricity.
Among the many prize offers OF the Frenci
Academy of Sciences is a sum equivalent to abou
100000 which was left by Breant in lS49, and
still unawarded 1t is to be given to the person
who shall find an effective remedy for Aslati
cholera or shall indicate with absolute certainty
its causes.
A French botanist, Mons. Tonssagrives, assert
that poisonous gases are given off by both grow
ing and harvested fruits-such as apricots, orange
and quinces-and death by poisoning has resulted
from sleeping in rooms exposed to such emana
lions. A similar deadly gas-evidently connected
in some way with vegetable odors-is given on D.
sweet scented flowers and odoriferous leaves.
In recent experiments Mons. Reinaufoun tina
iron reaches its greatest strength at tempera
ture of 554 degrees Fahr, when it is thirty pc
cent. stronger than at 6S degrees. Beyond 62'
degrees the strength rapidly diminishes, and a
SOC degrees is only thirty per cent as great as a
68 degrees.
Wet and dry seasons so differently affect tn
wings of butterflies in India rs to cause broods
the same insect to be taken for distinct species.
n Z