Daily Republican., 1885-09-21
SCIENTIFIC.

MI n DtTt 0Obb bCAtte tnhL IN 1893
only 1903 fossil insects from the carbon.
ferrous rocks OF the whole world were
known TO science. During the last a
years, however, the additions to that
number have been very large through
the discoveries made in Europe and
America.
The bridge TO re constructed over the
Hawkesbury River, New South Wales,
Twill be a remarkable work. This
double track railway bridge will be
3 900 feet long. and the piers, according
to the plans, will require to be sunk
about 40 feet in all below tide. The
estimated cost Is not less than ~ ,000,.
900.
From q. NJ. Dawson, in Science, the
Saskatchewan County, it appears, is
about 300, 600 80 uare miles in AREA and
| less than 1000 feet above the sea level.
1t Is lower than the adjoining country
to the south, and Is characterized by
scattered groves OF aspin, an extraOr-
Urinary number of small lakes, which
are emptied by evaporation before
autumn.
| In an important note on spectroscopic
observations through the medium Of
radiant matter submitted by Mr.. VIM.
Crookes to the Academy of Sciences,
Paris, the author shows that, from the
Anomalies presented during his present
departments, the conclusions of spec-
trum analysis per 80 are liable to
serious error, unless At each step, the
spectroscopist la controlled by the
chemist, who represents the court Of
appeal.
Mr.. H. A. Hazen, in the Anne rlcan
Meteorological Journal, divides thun-
der storms into-first, common storms
with light winds, more or less rain,
and generally not very heavy thunder;
second, those preceded or attended by
10 high and sudden wind, and third,
those that may be termed electric
storms, mostly experienced In the w est.
giving the remarkable phenomena OF
heavy electric discharges, more OF
less wind and no rain. The assertion
regarding the absence of rain has
awakened much interest and specula
ton among European meteorologists
who observe in 1t that which conflict,
with the generally accepted theory o
Thunder. storms.
In report on the bituminous de-
posits of the Camamu basin of the
Province Of Bahia, in Brazil, Mr.. j. NJ
cameron presents some facts with re-
gard to the influence Of the mansgrOvt
in relation to the formation of the grea
, muddy swamps on the coast. Tn,
lgrayish black mud sustains luxurian
mangrove vegetation, and the mud
seems TO be the result principally Of the
prolonged and continus ed decom position
of the roots and branches of the trees
AS the tidal currents ebb and flow very
slowly they have not sutfic lent force II
sweep away the greasy mud, and there
1t remains as food for successive gene
rations Of mangroves and ~ store for
the supply of oleaginous material fol
distant generations of human beings.
|, M. Delaunay, of Paris, predicts tha
, Earthquakes on q grand scale will Occul
next year either when the earth Is un-
der the influence Of a planet OF the frs
, rank, such as Jupiter, or under that Of
q group OF asteroids, or at time wher
y the sun and moon are nearest 10 oul
planet simultaneously. This specialist
r In earthquakes foretold the frightfu
I catastrophes which occurred in Soutl
America in 1877. He announced vas
seismic disturbance in 1888, and tn
:. appalling disasters in the Indian Archi
" pelago followed. He raj sed his voic
OF warning also before the late exten
Z sive shaking of the earth In Spain. l
Ia no wonder that his latest utteran oe
= have caused considerable attention Il
Z various countries.
A paper on the chemistry of Japs
I, nese lacquer has been sent to the Roys
Ac deny, Edinburgh, by Mr.. Hikort
> kuro Yoshida, chemist to the Imperii
Geological Survey of Japan. Lscqut
ijuice was found, it Is stated, TO consil
i of monob has ic acid, (urushic acid),
a. small proportion of heterogeneous dia'
y tatic matter, gum arabic and watel
u Tho hardening of the lacquer is show
n to be due to the oxidation of the urush
m acid TO oxyurushic acid by the sctio
I. of the heterogeneous substance in u
IL presence of air and moisture. COlort
lacquer is made by the addition
T metals, their sulphides or oxides, to u
III Juice, which exerts no action upt
u. them, except in the case of black la
Iquer, the coler of which is due to u
= presence OF urushiate Of iron, produce
by the addition of Iron filings TO Il
juice.
1t is said that bars of fle-temper,
steel may be strongly magnetized
" this way. An old file, for exam pie,
he placed In coil of moderate sized wir
We with one end resting against a block
ii iron. One OF the wires from a dynam
r. electric machine is connected to Oh
ne end of the wire coil, while the 9th
M end OF the coil is attached to o smi
tie block of iron which rests against {
4 free end of the fle. The other wi
I'm from tho dynamo electric ia attached
\. la good sized hammer, the face Of viii
W IL past injury by the spark. When t
of block to which the iron coil IL attach,
=, is struck by the hammer against t
~ end of the file, a mechanical shock
;. i'm parted, while at the same instant t
~ electric current passes through the C
or. with the result Of speedily Earring I
me molecules of steel into position. Ii
stated that the magnetization thus {
or. tanned IN permanent to q very @
- siderable degree.
\ Sting shots
TIa aI;po sbnt pniaance 10 apain