The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-08-22
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
AN nNREIIARIE pRopuEr-


Mr. II. H. Clayton has made careful investi-
CATION of the camphor barometer or "storm glass;"
which is supposed by many to give genuine ba-
rometric indications of the weather of the imme-
date future. He finds that the height of the pre-
cipitate in the glass-which gives the forecast of
"fair," "change," or "storm"-does not depend
upon atmospheric pressure or moisture but upon
temperature, and that the instrument is therefore
rude thermometer only. As the approach
of storm is often heralded by sudden fall of
temperature, causing rise of the precipitate to
the division of the scale marked Storm" the pre-
dictions are sometimes correct, but as the same
change of temperature occurs during continued
clear weather the instruments warnings are quite
as likely to be false alarms. During steady or
slowly changing temperature the precipitate is
settled compacty at the bottom of the glass, which
is marked "fair," although in the cold of winter
it may rise to the centre of the glass; and continue
pretty constantly in the division marked" change"
Storms unattended by sudden cold pass without
affecting the indications" of the camphor solu-
ton.
STORM NOTES.
In his latest meteorological paper Prof. E.
Loomis observes that north of thirty degrees of
latitude storm tracks in all longtudes almost in
variably follow an easterly course, but generally
have an inclination north of east. In the tropics
however, the tendency of storm tracks is westerly
or toward the northwest. An interesting fact con-
nected with tropical cyclones is that they are un-
known in the Pacific Ocean except near the Asiatic
coast. The average velocity of storms in the
United States for the entire year is found to be
% 2-5 miles per hour, but in February they travel
twice as rapidly as in August.
DELICACY OF THE SENSES.
DR.. E. L.. Nichols has made Investigations
which indicate the incorrectness of the general
belief that in woman the special senses are more
finely organized and delicate than in man. He
ho IF 70 ha tbor
those of women to red, yellow and green colors,
although not so to blue and the perception of
smell proved to be more acute in men than in
women.
NEPTUNE'S TEACHINGS.
OF deep sea life, and the gradual changes by
which it seems to have reached its present stage,
Filhol a French naturalist remarks: "During
the greater part of geological time the earths
face did not exhibit those deep depressions and
great projections that it does in our day. The
continents did not possess their present great re-
liefs, or the oceans their Obysses. Gradually, in
measure as the earth, under the influence of the
cooling that it underwent, cracked the bottom of
the oceans sank more and more. The equality of
temperature that was established between the deep
marine zones of the warm and temperate regions
and the superficial marine zones of the cold re-
gions permitted species living at these latter points
to extend over greater and greater spaces al
though they met with conditions of life different
from those of the surroundings in which they were
formerly placed-absence of vegetable food and
Of light, and absolute tranquility of water. Their
organization then became modified and adopted
itself to these now biological conditions in q
word, it became transformed Phosphorescent
organs arose to produce light in the midst of re-
gions that the solar rays no longer reached
Organs of touch were developed, carnivorous
characters substituted for phytophagous ones,
and notifications of the mouth were brought
about for stealthily selling large prey that had
to satisfy the animal for many days. So subma-
rine explorations have lent arguments of great
value to biologists who assert that animal forms
do not constitute those immutable types called
species. 1t would seem, in fact, when we observe
the surprising animals of the deep, that an or
ganism is merely a soft paste in the hands of
Nature, which she is necessarily kneading, and
the existence of which she perpetuates by adapta-
tions that are continuously renewed during the
course of ages"
MISCELLANEOUS.
In recent English experiments it has been found
that the risk of dust explosions in coal mines may
be obviated by removing or watering the dust for
distance of six yards around the shot holes.
new process for removing grease spots from
paper, or any fabric, seems to be in favor in Ger
many. Calcined magnesia is saturated with
benzo, and the powder is rubbed over the spots
Old stains may require a second application.
Sir J. B. Lawes finds that, although nitrogen
is the most abundant constituent of the atmosphere
plants derive their supply nearly if not quite ex
clusively from the SOIL while the carbon of plants
| is taken from the air.
According to Newcomb, late observations of the
planet Jupiter appear to show that the period Of
rotation at its equator is more than five minutes
less than in the latitude of the great red spot
This interesting result tends to confirm the sus-
pected resemblance of the greatest world of oul
| system to the sun itself.
| Admiral de Jonquieres, of the French navy, has
called attention to remarkable phenomenon
which may be witnessed at Papeete, in the Society
Islands. At this point there is but one tide day
instead of the two which occur at otherplaces on
| the sea.
| In 1858 Ray found that there were rs varietie:
| of apples. In 1866 the collection of the Roya
| Horticultural Society embraced 1.500 variet;er
| many of them not worth cultivation.
| A kind of beer made from bananas is reported
by missionaries of Uzigay, in the equatorial lake
region of Africa, to have proven an effective
prophylactic against malaral fevers, its use hav-
| ing kept them in excellent health in a most dead
| ly climate