The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-01-09
Compiled for TRx ARKANsAw TRAvKLKR.
 SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY

A IulnSo Clty, hthefto entirely un-
 known, has been discovered in the province
 of Adana, Asia Minor.
 Prof. Bakhuyzen, of the Leiden obser.
 vatory finds reason for believing that a par,
 of the planetary surface of Mars is liquid.
 A German geographer and statistician,
 pr. A. Fischer, estimates that an annual
 slaughter of 10000 elephants is necessary ,c supply the ivory exported from Africa.
 The first archaopteryx, the fossil re.
 mains of the oldest known bird, which seems to form the " connecting link between birds and reptiles, was discovered in the l,ho- graphic slate of Solenhofen in 1861. Another specimen recently found in the same locality has been sold for $5,oeo to the Berlin Mu- scum.
 A remarkable variation has been ob- served in the stature of the inhabitants of France. If line be drawn diagenally across the country from Manche to Lyons the peo. pie to the northeast of the division have an average height of 5 feet 6.6 inches, while those on the southwest side average only feet 4.6 inches.
 Prolific Weeds.-A botanist has at. tempted to estimate the number of seeds found upon some of the most obnoxious weeds Of this country. For shepherds purse he makes the number B, goo per plant; dan delion, 1a,IoS; wild pepper grass, ls,4oo; wheat thief, 7ooo; common thistle, 65 3o6; camomile, I5,92o; butter weed. 8s87; rag weed 4,366; common purslane, 3s8, 800; com mon plantain, 42 2oO burdock, 3so68.
 Qualities of Woods.-Prof. Sargen, finds that the str ongest wood in the United States is the nutmeg hickory of the Arkansaw region, and that the weakest is the West h. dian birch. The most elastic is the tamarack, the white or shellbark hickory being far be- low it. The least elastic and the lowest in specific gravity is the wood of the Ficus aurea. The highest specific gravity-upon which in general depends value as fuel-s attained by the bluewood of Texas.
 How Coasts Have Formed.-In a pa- per on the history of the development of coasts, German geologist, pr. Fischer, reaches the conclusion that where coasts have been formed by the erosive action of waves and streams, terraces and flat surfaces are the prevailing characteristics, with semi circular bays of small radius on terraced coasts and large radius on flat coasts. Where other features exist, they are mainly attribut- able to subterranean movements and com paratively recent changes in the level of the land, some modifying effects having of course been wrought by the sea.
 Apparent Distance of Sun and Moon.- To determine how far off the moon actually appears from the eye the late Mons. Plateau devised an ingenious experiment, which may be repeated by any person. Looking stead fly at the full moon few moments, he turned suddenly round toward wall, and noted the size of the dark accidental or complimentary image when projected on the wall. When, by moving forward or backward, this spectral image is made to assume the size of the real moon, it must appear to be the same distance from the observers eye; and Mons. Plateau found his distance from the wall to be about hfty-six yards. In similar manner Mons. Stroooant proved the suns apparent distance 10 be about ffty-three yards.
 Birth of the Microsope.-The origin of the microscope, that most important instru- ment of modern research, is lost in the mists of antiquity. A rock crystal lens and a mi engraving were unearthed by Lay ard at Nineveh, and many of the gems in the British museum could not possibly have been cut by their ancient engravers with unassisted sight. Later evidence of the use of water illed glass globes as magnifying and burning glasses is furnished by Pliny, Seneca and Plutarch. Alhazen, the Arabian, made known n Europe the magnifying power of lenses about the eleventh century. It is generally believed that the first microscope with dou- ole glass was invented by Jansen, in 1900, although Roger Bacon is credited with pre- 'ious invention at Oxford in the thirteenth century.
 Extent and Velocity of Storms.-Prof. 2. Loomis finds that in the United States a ow pressure area, with only one system of ;yclonic winds, frequently has diameter of ,6oo miles, and that cyclones over the Allan ic frequently have diameters of a,ooo miles. areas of low barometer, having S'SA@A SSneCAS OA SyCiOniC dCtlon, may nave ! diameter of 6,ooo miles or may even form l belt extending nearly, if not quite round he globe between the parallels of 40 and 90 degrees north latitude. On the other hand, ropical cyclones are often only 800 miles, CT wen less, in diameter. In the United States, he signal service records fer thirteen years how that the average rate of progress of torms for the year is as.4 miles per hour, ising to the maximum, s4-a miles, in Februs ny, and falling to the minimum, 2a6 miles. n August In Europe storms travel much nore slowly, the mean rate of progress dur nE the five years ending 1880 being I67 miles, eaching the maximum of Io miles in October, md falling to the minimum of I4 miles in August.
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