The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-09-01
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS

According to the naturalists WASH, :.
member the locality of their nests =.
ninety-six hours.
In q gallon OF sea water there g..
1890 grains of salt, besides some M.
nesia, iodine, and bromine.
The heads of the Cambridge stua.,.
have been measured, showing that a.
average brain capacity of a first.el,.
man is PA. Sc cubic inches. The car.
city Of tho ordinary pass mans he.a
measures 237. SO cubic inches.
Spiders rarely cause any trouble vii,
bees. Strong colonies are fully abIs !.
repcl them should they enter the b;,.
All webs about the entrance should \.
brushed away, or bees will be cauch
and devoured.
Alarm clocks arc now made with,
small electric battery, which obyist..
the necessity of winding up the spr,,
alarm the night before it Is used. n.
electrical clock can be set to any pivs,
five min utes Of each hour, and the hall
will ring at that time, aud will nm.
until the switch is turned to cut off N.
electric current.
One OF the human footprints found /,
volcanic rock in Nicaragua several ye.n
ago is described by DR.. D. G. Brintou
as being 1-2 inches long, three inches
wide at the heel and 1-2 at the to.
The apparent length of the foot itself il
eight inches. DR.. Brinton considers the
footprints genuine, but is uncertain
whether they are so ancient as has been
supposed.
DR.. Paulinis mentions an epidemic Of
in 1884. which followed the
arrival Of flock of turkeys in Skia,os
one OF the Grecian isles, where no case
OF the disease had previously been
known for thirty years. Some of the
turkeys were sick, and it is believed
that the diphtheretic germs were con-
veyed from them through the air to the
frst human victim.
Plants are injured by parasitic fungi
in various ways. They are deprived Of
nourishment, growth is abnorma ~ &C.
CELEBRATED or retarded, causing distor.
ion; not only are green parts affected
but roots, stems, buds, flowers and
nut; leaves and fruit fall prematurely;
iecay is produced 10 ripe fruits before
md after removal from the plant, and
7aluable plants receive injury from
hose Of less value by ordinary iniec-
ion.
A new artificial silk i, said to have
'een prepared at Lyons, France by NJ
&c Chardonnet. The process consists
adding to an etherizcd solution of
itrnted cellulose the base of gun-cot-
on) solution of perchloride of iron,
nd to this mixture littlo of a solution
tannic acid in alcohol, when the
'hole IS poured in a fine jet into water
cidulated with nitric acid. The fluid
bread becomes consistent, and is
rawn off, dried and wound. The sub
lance IS supple, transparent, silkyin
ppearance, and very strong. The
dior is gray or black, but may be
hanged to suit.
A petroleum engine now being ex.
lbited in England is attracting much
tention. Ia tank "a the bed O, the
'gine is placed the petroleum, which
forced through pipe into a compart-
ent where the oil is converted into
ne spray by means of a blast of air.
he spray passes into chamber. and
'ming IN contact with an electric spark
'tained from a small battery in the
ar, motive power is at once supplied.
construction it is said to be compara-
Vely simple and tho engine works
18th admirable regularity. The piston
cures no oiling, the petroleum vapor
ppiylng the necessary fabrication.