The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-25
CURIOUS FACTS.

A petrifel fish about III inches long
and six inches thick was found recently
on the Oregon Mountain, 8, 900 feet above
the sea level.
The sexes can be distinguished in ducks
by noticing that duck quacks in loud,
coarse voice, while drake has sharp,
thin, peeping voice.
The time of the ocean steamship pas
sage has been reduced by more than one
half since 1910, and by more than forty
per cent. since 1860.
A New York State man proposes to
make a railroad car entirely of wood
pulp. He claims that it will be inde-
structible either by fire or by shock.
A turtle was recently hafched out In
the parlor of q Jersey ity woman from
IN egg which she brought home as
souvenir of trip. 1t was placed on the
card receiver.
The invention of the organ is attributed
to Archimedes, about 220 B. G. It was
brought from Western Europe from the
Greek Empire, and used in religious de-
votions in churches about A. D.. 657.
a chemical explanation Of 1reland's
distress is that it is due to too exclusive
subsistence upon potatoes. Though q
healthful luxury, this food used alone
supplies too little nutrition to support
people other than in half-starved and
dissatisfied condition. It is probable,
therefore, that Irclaud's woes would be
greatly reduced if the productive soil
and climate were applied to the growth
of nutritive cereals instead of the
tubcrs.
Whether one position in sleep is better
than another may be an important ques
tion, but it does not seem to have been
authoritatively settled that any particu-
lar position is the best to adopt. Sleep:
ing on the right side is more common
than on the left, and sleeping on the
back is comparatively rare. Evidence
has been found to show that sleeping on
the left side favors bronchitis, and
sleeping on the right side appears to in
crease tendency to constipation. It
has been strongly urged that health and
longevity are best secured by lowering
the head and raising the feet in sleep,
though some nervous affections require
partially erect posture.
In paper on color blindness, Prof.
W. Ramsey suggests that the particular
defect which causes color blindness may
lie in tho brain, not in the eye. Certain
persons, he points ont, are incapable of
Judging which OF two musical tones is
the highest, even when they are more
than an octave apart. Yet such persons
hear each tone perfectly; the defect is
not one of deafness. 'It must be con-
cluded," says Prof. Ramsey, that in
such case the brain is the defaulter.
And it may equally we'll be the case that
the inability to perceive certain colors Is
not due to defect in the instrument Of
sight-the eye-but to the power of In
terpreting the impressions conveyed to
the brain by the optic nerve. # this is
the case, the problem is 10 longer a
physical one; it fails among those with
which the mental psychologist has to
deal"
A new principle for keeping plants
through the winter without artificial heat
was recently shown at Regents Fark,
London, with the plants grown in them
last winter. The essence of the inven-
tion is that all light and Eeat shall pre-
viously pass through shallow layer of
water. The water is found 10 exercise
great control over temperature, protect
ing plants entirely from frost in winter
and from excessive direct heat in sum-
mer. The application involves no difi-
Guilty. In the case OF garden frame, .
sliding "water-light," about three inches
deep, is made to fit over the frame con-
tanning the plants; the only difference
from a glass light being that it holds
water and is always placed in fiat posi-
tion. The depth of water generally kept
in the tank is about two inches, in win
ter and summer, and half the depth in
spring and autumn. - :.