The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1886-12-11
. Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
LIFE DISTRIBUTION.

In his presidential address to the British AS
ISOLATION on the geology of the Atlantic, Sir j.
W.; Dawson mentioned two curious paradoxes
concerning the difficult problem of the distribu-
ton of life over the earth First, the chances OF
the wide distribution of marine species are not
exceptionally great Us might be inferred, for the
reason that the great depths Of the sea have been
found to be as impossible to most marine animals
as the land ITSELF Second, the deep sea, which is
so great barrier to the passage Of shaltcw-water
animals, seems actually, under certain conditions,
to afford facilities for the migratons Of land AMI
mails and plants greater than those Of un uni
continents.
DREAM IMPRESSIONS.
Most dream representations, according to Wundt
emanate from actual, though weak, Impressions
on the nerves during sleep. Thus an inconven-
lent position excites visions of laborious or pain
full experiences, difficult respiration produces the
agony Of nightmare, flying is suggested by the
r6ythmic movements Of breathing nudity by
fall of clothes from the bed, crawling things by
skin irritations, etc. The reproduction of past
memories is associated with events which have
left profound mental impression
afh- ~ THE NEW ZEALAND ERUPTION.
In preliminary report on the recent volcanic
eruptions in New Zealand, the Government geolo-
pst traces the origin of the disturbance to the PEN
etration of large quantity of water to intensely
heated rocks comparatiyely near the earth's sur
face. The focus of the disturbance extended
from the north end of the Tarawera Range on
line running southwestward from seven to ten
miles and stretching across the depression which
had been occupied by Lake. Rotomahana. The
first phase of the outbreak commenced with an
eruntion at the northernmost Of the three SUBMITS
of the range. was followed in q few minutes by
more violent eruption from the second summit,
and quickly eliminated in terrific explosion at
the south end Of the range which seems to have
blown away section Of the mountain measuring
- Goat Iaar tha
being scattered over the country for many miles.
The second and more disastrous phase began near
" two hours later than the first, and was marked
nv the outburst of an immense volume OF steam
from the site of Rotomahana Lake. At this time
was formed the most remarkable feature OF the
entire outbreaks great fissure, some SIX or elgnt
miles long perhaps, running from the mountain
near the first rent across the site of the lake. and
including several powerful geysers. Seen through
the steam. the bottom Of this assure seems to be
made up Of boiling mud pools The matter thrown
from this chasm was in great quantity Pumice-
sand so thickIy covering some forty miles OF coun
try as to obliterate many natural features and
hide every trace of vegetation; while an entirely
different deposit-one of mud, covered everything
over d considerable area, reaching Q depth OF
foot at Wairoa, four miles away. Fine dust was
carried at least 12O miles. No lava was elected.
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT.
Those who would preserve the best relation be-
tween height and weight may be interested in the
formula of Dr. Broca, the eminent French anthro-
nolooist. which provides that the human body
should weigh as many kilogrammes as it measures
in centimetres over metre. Thus man mea-
suring one metre eighty centmetres (7O.S7 inchesl
should weigh eighty kilos Q7637 pounds). Should
his weight be more less, he is too stout or toe
thin. As men grow older they lose their weight
but as compensation they dlminisn IN neign'
also.
PREHISTORIC sTAR-CHARTS.
Astronomy antedates history. A stone slab
of mans work in the Stone Age, was dug up at
station on the st. Petersburg and Moscow Rail
way Some years ago similar slab was found
near Weimar.
sEA-wEED PRODUCTS.
Even sea weed has certain value, and some
day may be in considerable demand new
English method of utilizing it consists in boiling
it with carbonate of soda, fiItering and treating
with sulphuric acid. Thus is obtained substance
to be known as "alguina, " which has more Wis
costly than starch, or even gumarabic, and may
be probably used in stiffening textile fabrics II
is said to be also adapted for the making of syrups
and for culinary purposes. From the matter left
after extracting this substances very good writ
ing paper may be cheaply made.
s9@a'sy'HSH THE COLOR BLIND.
In an examination of II, ITS persons for color
blindness, DR.. Worms, as reported to the Paris
Academy of Medicine has found but two who
were lncdpaoie Vi distinguishing one cOIOr IrOu
another, while three were blind for red and six
for green, eighteen could not distinguish green
from red, fifteen saw no difference between green
and blue or grey, and 'ffty.two had peculiar
weakness in color-vision in general. :" u ~
E''2 iie aiiii'' MISCELLANEOUS q
Attention is being directed to creosote as pos
sble future source Of heat and light. Boilers for
waF-vesseIs have already been adapted to its use
as fuel, and, mixed with about four times its
weight of air, it has given good results as an
iuminaut. 9rI a. -Ns -fi .T,t't S. f.Hse-'
In France electricity has been very successful
ly applied to quieting FESTIVE and Vicious horses
- being shod 1.-The arran gement comprises
simply an Induction COLL dry battery, and a
device for giving a shock Of graduated intensity.
stroke of lightning at Loiten, Norway, re-.
Gently cut in two q tree So smoothly that the up
per section seemed to have been sawed from the
lower. b y7Ef'i fTn os-f7ef4' 4 R'ff ~
Deep in the Arolla glacier of the Alps Prof.
Forel has discovered anatural grotto, which be
explored to a distance Of about 275 yards. The
width Of this cecavern is from six to thirty yards
and its height from two to three yards.