The Opelousas courier., 1889-02-16
SCIENTIFIC SCRAPS.

recent computation makes the veloc-
Aof the solar system in space only
Ct 10, 900, 900 miles a year. By a
Sent method another computer has
deg hined the rate to be about 625, 0O0,-
oooysNNles in a year.
Ga anoplarty is a new species of en-
balmA 3, by which one K~ergsvatz pro-
poses transform our deceased friends
into st ues of natural size. Zinc, cop
per, go or silver is to be used over a
layer ot]umbago for a finishing touch.
An If ance of the value of photo
graphy - detecting the relative motion
of stars zs9 given by NJ. de Gothard.
Compari 9 of a recent photograph with
measures orded by Vogel in 1s67-69
appears to'1eSw that cluster 4411 G. c.
contains ~a.tte2sleventh magnitude star
which has chaseed its position relatively
to the other stal ato the extent of 2.3
seconds a year. fefe>
Some time ago,'>~mctric lights were
placed in front of the treasury and other
public buildings in Washington, and a
curious result has been AMY wrsoT7aordinary
congregation of spiders w9d CO These
cunning animals have disco9 las that
game, in the form of flies, moths ae not
on, is very abundant near the elech4lo
light, owing to the attraction it has for
some insects; and, hence, their webs are
in some parts SO thick that portions of
the architectural o~rnamentation are no
longer visible.
During the cutting of peat in a moss
at Vevang, near the town of Christian
sund, In the northwest of Norway, the
workmen recently dug out a log of oak
over twelve feet in length and about
four feet in diameter. 1t was found at a
depth of nine feet. The trunk and root
of a great oak tree were unearthed in
the same moss some years ago, so it is
concluded that there was once an oak
forest in this spot. The remains of the
oak were found below a layer in the bog
in which remains of frs are often found.
A twenty-three foot vein of what
| promises to be a valuable kind of fuel
has been discovered at Elsinore, Cal,
and it is thought that the whole valley
is underlaid with it. 1t is described by
The News of that place as quite soft,
and easily worked when In the mine,
but it gets hard when exposed to the
air. 1t resembles slate somewhat in APP
| pearance, although of a somewhat light
er color. 1t is clean, leaves no marks or
stains on the hand, does not slack or
crumble in the air, can be split like
mica into very thin fibres, burns freely,
and needs only to be ignited with a
match, smells like burning rubber when
being consumed, and leaves behind a jet
black ash resembling lampblack in all its
properties. 1t is said to be worth ST.
per ton for making gas. -
You sometimes see shells along oul
shores having a hole in their side. Thi.
hole is perfectly round, and is bevelled
OF counter-sunk. It seems to have been
made a%rtiicially, and with great care.
How is it to be accounted for? Another
shell, the common cookie, whichis found
in great numbers all along our shores,
has done the mischief. It has a tongue
furnished with rows of teeth, giving il
a resemblance to a file. When the little
creature is hungry, it finds another shell
containing a living inhabitant. 1t a
once fastens itself to it, and by means o
its teeth-covered tongue commences
boring or filing a hole, and continues a
this employment until it has gotter
through the shell to the living inhabi
tant within. This is what it was after
It has found its food, and can now at it
leisure make its meal.