Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-03-24

their dead bodies, and the stencil of them
was carried $50 miles by the wind. In an
other part of Africa, early in the Christian
era, one plague of locusts is said to have
caused the death of 800, 900 persons; and in
591 nearly as bad plague occurred in
Italy. Again, in 147S, more than 10000
persons persisted in the Venetian territories
from famine caused by locusts.
A member Of the Royal horticultural So
ciety of London has observed that dahlias
collect much dew on their leaves; the peach,
rose and evening primrose, very little; while
the ounce and mulberry are only very
slightly wet.
The time required for the development of
smallpox after exposure to it is very diff
cult to determine, but is usually supposed
to be from twelve to fourteen days. Prof.
d. Eichorst, of Zurich, has, however, Mt
length succeeded in recording three cases in
which the incubation period is clearly
known, and finds it to be few hours more
than nine days in each case.
An English experimenter finds that, con
trary to general opinion, growth of ivy
over house renders the interior entirely
free from moisture.
The Malays, who frequently find ancient
stone axes in the soil, call them ''thunder.
stones" believing that they proceed from,
thunderbolts.
THE KEEN EYE OF sCIENcE.-A striking
illustration of the value of the camera to
astronomy is furnished by the recent dis
covery of new nebula near the star Maia
in the Pleiades. Until photographed at the
Paris Observatory this nebula had never
been seen with the best glasses, although it
has since been detected with the great
telescope of the Pulkova Observatory. The
Emperor of Brazil now announces his de-
termination to cooperate, at the Rio de
Janeiro Observatory, in the general project
of photographing the entire heavens, al
ready begun at Paris with such unexpected
| success.
DUST EXPLosIONs.-The Investigations
of the Prussian Firedamp Commission have
shown that many mine explosions attributed
to firedamp, or outbursts of gas, are really
due to fine coal-dust, all kinds of dust ap-
pearing to be capable of exploding violent
ly when ignited. The experiments relative
to this infammability of coal dust were
devised as nearly as possible in accordance
with the conditions prevailing in practice,
and more than two hundred tests were
made, explosions occurring in every case
when an electric spark was produced in a
dust cloud.
Maj Gen. E. F. Burton has described GER
tain large, yellow hornets of India which
dispose themselves in regular circles upon
their nest, with their heads to the CENTRE
They thus appear like the spokes of vel
low Wheel and nest of them is sometimes
mistaken for a sunf1ower.
DR.. P Andres finds that the danger of a
house being struck by lightning has in
creased three to five fold in Germany with
in the last fifty years, and supposes this to
be due to the impurities from the ever-in-
creasing number OF chimneys.
Birds, according to Mons Desplats,
evolve three times as much heat as NAM
mails, absorbing thrice as much carbonic
acid.
PLANTS OF THE ZoNEs.-In recent lee.
ture in London, Mr.. J. G.. Baker estimated
the total number of Enthusiastically trop.
ical plants as from 10000 to $4,000. The
plants of the north temperate zone embrace
about 10000 species. The Arctic zone has
less than 1000 species, while the higher
mountain regions possibly furnish 1900
more-a total of 5000 species of what gar
deners call alpines, that is, plants specially
adapted to cold, damp climate with q
short summer. Mr.. Baker estimated that
46, 900 species of plants are represented il
the possessions of Great Britain.
THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND RAIN.-Mete
biologists have found that there can be nc
thunder and lightning without rain. Wher
thunder is heard beneath a clear sky, the
reports must either come from distant
clouds or be the result of some Other cause
than discharge of electricity. Harvest OF
heat lightning is produced by distant
storm. Thunder seldom accompanies heat
lightning the sound reaching only about
twelve miles, while lightning is often seen
by reflection upon nearer clouds, at much
greater distance.
THICKNESS OF CLoUDs.-Capt. H. Toyn.
bee, of the London Meteorological Society
has arrived at the conclusion that clouds OF
less than 1000 feet in thickness are seldom
accompanied by rain; and if they are it i:
very gentle, consisting of minute drops
With a thickness of between 2, 900 and 1000
feet the size of the drops is moderate. Will
increasing thickness comes increasing size
of the drops, and at the same time theil
temperature becomes lower, until, wher
the thickness is greater than 5000 feet hal
is produced.
England has new association in the
Junior Engineering and Scientific Society
to which no person over twenty-six years
old is admitted.
THE PICTURED Rocks OF WEST VIRGIN
IA Morgantown CIV. Va.) letter says
THE famous pictured rocks on the Evans
vile pike, about four miles from this place
have been a source of wonder and specula
ton for more than century, and have at
tracted much attention among tie learned
men of this country and Europe. The cliff
upon which these drawings exist is of con
siderable size and within a short distance OF
the highway above mentioned. The rock
is white sandstone which wears little from
exposure to the weather, and upon its
smooth surface are delineated the outlines
of at least fifty species of animals, birds,
reptiles, and fish, embracing in the number
panthers, deer, buffalo, offers, beavers, wild.
cats, foxes, wolves, raccoons, opossums,
bears, elk, crows, eagles, turkeys, cells, va
rious sorts of fish, large and small, snakes,
&c. In the midst of this silent menagerie
of specimens of the animal kingdom is the
full-length outline OF female form, beauti.
full and perfect in every respect Inter-
spersed among the drawings of animals,
&C., are limitations of the footprints of each
sort, the whole space occupied being $50
feet long by so feet wide. To what race the
artist belonged, or what his purpose was in
making these rude portraits, must ever re-
main a mystery, but the work was evident
ly done ages ago."
CHARLES DICKENS AND HIS WIFE
Dickens was genius, and like the most of
that order, was nervous, sensitive, OCCASION
L