Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-05

FOIty-sWO ucW CuoMNo' "f0"e"so
have been discovered during The past
ten years.
Potato is used to clean steel pens,
ard generally acts IS pen-w'per. II
removes ell ink.crust, and gives pc
culiarly smooth flow 10 the isk. Pass
rev pens two or three times through a
gas fame, and then the ink will flow
freely.
MIR. Otto Cbrismsr, professor at
Scbsmnitz, Hungary, has applied the
incsDdescent e!ectric.lamp, as fed by
sccumulators, TO surveying in mines.
Two lamps are employ ed-one large, to
light TIE angle to be taken, and q snail
one TO light The yernier.
A remarkable illustration OF the en-
during character Of human hair may
now be seen in the British Museum,
where has been plscsdsa wig, lately
found in a temple at Thebes, which is
supposed to have been worn by an
Fgyp'isn priest at period not less
than 3,4O0 years ago.
It seems that Lieutenant Greedy be-
lieyes in the theory that there is al
open sea, some l,500 miles in diameter,
round about the pole, that never
freezes. the conjecture being that the
pole itself is the centre of an ice
capped land, covered with ice from
1000 to 1000 feet thick.
1t is claimed that the increase in the
number of persons using glasses is
fully 1874 per cent. over previous pc
RODS. This is Get down as partly due
to the practice people have of buying
glasses Of unskilled persons and partly
to notions Of economy in buying cheap
glasses. The number Of opticians has,
of course, correspondingly increased.
The American Medical Journal says
that in the decline of life, when ex-
hausted nature habitnally repels the re-
storative influence of sleep, there is
nothing so suitable to induce healthful
repose as one half to one teaspoonful
of bromidia at bedtime. 1t may be
taken for years, in the same dose, with
the same effect and without detriment;
but never except under the advice OF
the family physician.
The measuring of the candle-power
of light is accomplished BY comparing
the shadow cast by rod in the light
of a standard candle with the shadow
cast by tho light to be tested. BY
moving the latter toward or away from
the rod a point will be reached at
which tho shadow cast by both lights
will be Of the same intensity. The in
tensity of the two lights is directly
proportional to the squares Of their
distances from the shadows. e., sup.
pose the light to be tested is three
times the distance Of the candle, its
Illuminating power is nine times as
great.
A German professor spent twenty
years in studying the habits and cha
,acteIistics Of certain snail, and
learned this interesting fact respecting
it On the Pacific coast of America,
where it is found in great abundance,
it is prey ed upon by certain fish
which abOunds in the Pacific Ocean.
As an aid in escaping from its formi-
dable enemy it has been provided with
an eye on the back Of its head. The
same snail is found on the Atlantic
coast, exactly like its far-western bro
tber in every particular except that it
has no posterior eye. And the reason
for this is that there is no correspond
ing fish to prey upon it in the Atlantic
Ocean.
The foot of the horse is one Of the
most ingenious and unexampled pieces
of mechanism IN animal structure. The
hoof contains q series Of vertical and
thin lamin@ Of horn, amounting to
about 500, and forming complete
lining to it. In this are fitted as many
lamine belonging to the cofiin-bone,
while both sets are elastic and adhs-
rent. The edge of quire Of paper,
inserted leaf by leaf into another, will
convey a sufficient idea Of the arrange
ment. Thus the weight of the animal
is supported by as many elastic springs
as there are lsmine in all the feet,
amounting to about 1000, distributed
in the most secure manner, since every
srring is acted on in an oblique direc-
ton.
Alta recent meeting Of the Physio-
logical Society Of Berlin it was stated
that when the bee has filled the cell
either with pure honey or q mixture Of
pollen-dough and honey, and has com.
pleted the lid, a drop of fornic acid,
obtained from the poisOn-bag connect
ed with the sting, is added to the honey
by perforatipg the lid with the sting.
Numerous experiments show that this
formic acid preserves honey and every
other solution from fermentation. If
this be well established it will show
that the sting and the pOison-apparatus
Of the bee has a further purpose than
that of defensive or offensive weapon
Another interesting fact suggests itself
in connection with this. So far as Is
known, most Of the insects that have
stipgiDg-epparatus similar to that Of
the bee are collectors and storers OF
honey.
In the northern parts Of Scotland and
in the FARGO islands extraordinary meet
irgs of crows are occasionally kno wn
to occur. They collect in great num-
bers, as if they had been all summoned
for the occasion few Of the flock sit
with dropping heads and others seem as
grave as Judges, while others again are
exceedingly active and noisy; in the
course of about an hour they dispsrse,
and it is not uncommon, after they have
flown away, to find one or two left
dead on the spot. These meetings will
sometimes continue for a day or two
before the object, whatever it may be,
is completed. Crows continue to arrive
from all quarters during the session.
As soon as they have all arrived very
general noise ensues, and shortly after
the whole fall upon one or two indi-
yiduals and put them to death; whom
this execution has been performed they
quietly dispense.
Rabbits fn New Zealand.