Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-16
POPULAR sCIENC NOTES.

SCIENCE NOTES
The good old-time theory of e~quinoctial
storms is not believed by Weather Prophet
Gen. Greedy. The popular belief In the
occurrence of storms on the Dist of March
and the 21st of September rests largely, 1t
appears, on the assumption thatthey ought
to occur at such dates. The 2lst of March
marks the exchange Of the long nights and
short days of the winter for the short
nights and long days of the summer, while
the 21st of September marks the time
when the long days and short nights of the
summer are exchanged for the short days
and long nights of winter. 1t seems but
reasonable to amateur meteorOlogists that
at the time of these changes there should
be a dislocation Of the weather arrange
ments of the one season. so to speak, and
the substitution of other entirely different
arrangements. the movement being attend
ed with manifestations of a violence pro-
portioned to the greatness of the difference
between summer and winter. Such may
be said to be the popular view. To Gen.
Gr9ely the e~quinoxes present themselves
in an entirely different aspect. 1.-The
e~quinoxes, " he observed, ARE imaginary
points at the intersection of the circle
described by the earth about the sun with
the plane of the earth's equator extended
until it reaches the imaginary dome of the
sky, and they are nothing more than this.
Hence 1T is very evident, - he says, THAT
they can have absolutely no influence on
storms. 1t might be thought that some
how the lengthening of the day at the
spring equinox might effect the weather,
but, as the l%engthening amounts to only
about 81 minutes daily, and Is a c%ontinu-
Gus action, lasting for weeks before and
after the equinox, the effect is absolutely
nothing.
Prof. G. H. Darwin has recently pub
lished a paper on The Mechanical Con-
dition of a Swarm Of Meteorites, and on
Theories of CosmOgony." Mr.. Lockyear
for some time has been strongly urging a
meteoric theory Of the genesis of the solar
system, as well as ~endeavoring to show
that stars and nebuiR are only meteoric
swarms of different age and of varying
density. Those who long ago had accept
ed in substance the nebular hypothesis of
Laplace have hesitated to accept the new
doctrine, and to substitute metecric swarms
for Laplace's glowing gas, assumed
by him as the original stuff OF which suns
and planets were made. But in this paper
Darwin shows that a swarm of meteors
moving swiftly enough and of reasonable
size would, in the mass, possess all the
characteristic properties of gas. The
molecular collisions to which the sO-called
gaseous properties are due according to
the dynamic or kinetric theory of gases
are. replaced in the meteoric swarm by the
collisions of the meteoric stones them
selves. In fact, if the dynamic theory of
gases is true, a cubic inch of gas magnifed
some billions of times would be nothing
but a not very crowded swarm of swiftly
flying solid masses. From this point of
view, therefore, extremes meet, and it
makes hardly any difference in the me-
chanical equations and conceptions
whether we suppose the original ''nebula' 70.
of the solar system to be gaseous or
meteoric.
The theory has been frequently advanced,
notes the Independent, that the two little
satellites of Mars tone of which has a
period Of revolution shorter than can be
explained by the nebular hypothesis, may
be captured asteroids. caught by the at
traction of the planet, and ineXorably re-
tanned as permanent attendants. POlncare
has recently demonstrated that this is i'm
possible; that if it were possible for a
planet thus TO capture and hold as satellites
bodies moving freely under the suns at
traction and passing near 1t, it would be
also possible conversely for the sun to en-
tice away a planets satellites and make
independent planets of them. If, how
ever, the planet were surrounded by a re-
sisting medium extending far enough
away from its surface, then the resulting
reduction of the velocity of a body APP
preaching the planet might make the cap
ture poSsible-but in that case the contin-
uing resistance to its motion would soon
bring it down, just as happens to meteors
entering our terrestrial atmosphere.
The scientific paradoxes are grouped to-
gether in Blackwood's Magazine: The
water which browns us, a fluent stream,
can be walked upon as Ice. The bullet
which, when fred from a musket. carries
death, will be harmless if ground to dust
before being fired. The crystallized part
of the oil of roses. so graceful in its fra
grance-a solid at ordinary temperatures,
though readily volatile-is a compound
containing exactly the same elements, and
in exactly the same proportions, as The
gas with which we light our streets. The
tea which we daily drink with baneft and
pleasure produces palpitations, nervous
tremblings, and even paralysis, if taken
IN excess; yet the peculiar organic agent
called theme, to which tea owes it qualities,
may be taken by itself (as theme, not as
tea without any appreciable effect.
1t is well known that Sir John Lubbock
has shown how long insects may live when
kept out of harms way. The greatest age
vet attained by any insect. so far as known.
Is that reached by a queen of an ant (For-
mica fusca), which lived in his care until
August 8. 1888, when she must have been
nearly Is years. Another queen of some
species died at an advanced age of over Is
years. He has now another queen of an
other kind of ant (Lasius niger. which is
more than nine years old. land still lays
fertile eggs, which produce female ants. :
He has also workers of LaSius niger and
Formica fusca. which were at least seven
years Old At the other extreme of in
sect longevity stands the May fly, or Ep-
hemera, the type of feeting existence,
these insects having the reputation of liv-
ing but a few hours or a day.
The water which will allay our burning
thirst arguments it when concealed into
snow. so that it is stated by explorers OF
the Arctic regions that the natives .'pre,
fer enduring the utmost extremity of thirst
rather than attempt to remove it by eating
snow" Yet if the snow be melted it be,
comes drinkable water. Nevertheless. al
though if melted before entering the
mouth it assuages thirst like other water.
when melted in the mouth it has the op-
posite effect. To render this paradox
more striking, we have only to remember
that ice. which melts more slowly in
the mouth, is very efficient IL a~llaying
thirst.
The very small ameba found in oul
creeks and ponds could not well be less