The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-02-12
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
Items Which will Prove of Interest to
Our Readers.

In the latest list the beetles OF the
American Continent alone number
!, ,49O species.
Recent surveys show that Russian
forests generally reach theirstnorthern
limit at II degrees north latitude, but |
near the Lena they extend to 72 de !
grees.
- Glass plates have been substituted for |
copper in the sheathing of an Italian
ship, the advantages claimed being
freedom from oxidation and incrusta-
ton The glass was cast, like iron. in
plates to fit the hull.
Extensive experiments are to be made
by the government of Tasmania In nat
uralization of European fishes-such
as Holsters, crabs, turbot and brill-ln
the waters of that country. Similar
trials have been very successful in New
Zealand and Australia.
The weather service of Great Britain
appears to be in an unsatisfactory con-
dition. Statistics obtained by the House
ten years 100 unprotected storms visited
British coast, or an average of one
storm a month.
It is suggested that the Patagonians
inches in stature since the adoption of
constant horse back riding, little over
two centuries ago. They were formerly
reputed giants and their bodies are still
huge. while their legs are dispropor-
tionately short and slender.
Some remarkable and very successful
experiments have been made at Ports
mouth, England, on the use Of creOsote
as a steam generator in ships of war.
/ The creosote is kept in tank and kept
/ at uniform temperature and consist
ency by steam coils running through it.
and steam injectors force the vapor into
the furnace.
DR.. Brown Sequard, the French phys
iologist, has demonstrated that for sew
eral weeks after death. or during the
persistence of the rigid condition which
Immediately follows the cessation ot
life, the muscles of an animal undergo
slow alternate contradictions and elonga
tions and he reaches the startling con
clusion that the muscles in rigor nlorti,
are not dead, but are still endowed will
vital powers. being, however, in certain
chemical condition which Is anteceden
to and preparatory to final death.
Recent experiments confirm the opin
ion of sanitary authorities that Will,
natural soil is an excellent filter for
impure air that may pass through it. i
Is poor filter for infected water. Mr.
Raphael Pumpellv. of the Nationa
Board Of Health, finds that sand inter
poses absolutely no barrier between
wells and infection with germs from
cess pools. cemeteries, etc, living ever
at great distances in the lower we
stratum of sand and that it i possibl
that dry gravel, or possibly a dry
coarse sand is no obstacle to the en-
trance into houses above Of these organ
isms, which swarm in the ground al
around leaky drains.
After a careful study Of the subjec
Professor P. D. Penhallow conclude
that the formation of the go called an
nual rings of growths in trees is chief
determined by whatever operates t
produce the alternating periods of phys
biological rest and activity. In cold eli
mates the rings are approximately cor
rect, but not always certain, index G
age. In warm climates, however, tn
rings are of no value in this respect, a
the growth is more likely to mark pt
riod Of rainfall than the yearly hot seS
son of summer.
An electric safety lamp was exhibite
by Mr.. J. W. Swan, at a recent NEE
ing Of mechanical engineers In England
The lamp is portable, being fed by
secondary battery, ard the whole weigI
ing about six pounds, and is said to /
capable Of giving two or three times
much light as the ordinary safety Ian
during ten or twelve hours. The sal
ply of electric energy is readily renewt
and the batteries of several hundr,
lamps may be recharged in few hou
by connecting with suitable electr
main. Mr.. Swan hopes to give mine
still further security by the addition
foul air detector to the lamp,
Perhaps ne more striking illustrate
of the wonderful reproductive powe
Of certain insects could be given tn
that contained in a new work by The
dore Wood, an English entomologi
It is assumed, first, that 1000 aphid
, weigh no more than single grain a
/ secondly that only very stout man C
weigh as much as two million grail
: Then it is found that if multiplicati
+ were entirely unchecked, the ter
= brood alone Of single aphis would
- equivalent in point of actual matter
= more than five millions of very stC
men.
. The silicifed forest ot Arizo
: known as Chalced Park, is undoubte
d one of the greatest of American W.
s. ders, remarks Mr.. Geo. F. Kuntz. 7
= marvellous deposit, eight miles soutl
Ri CoTriZa, covers a thousand acres
sl consists of fallen trees which have