Morning journal and courier., 1891-09-10

corner in prunes. 1t may cost some
thing to get full of prunes later on.

q corner in prunes. 1t may cost some
thing to get full of prunes later on.
Dentists have discovered that tartar, q
calcareous deposit on the teeth, Is more
abundant in persons of highly nervous
temperament than in any others. The
explanation, according to an observant
dentist, Is that persons of nervous temper
ment secrete more saliva than others, and
as tartar is carried by saliva in solution,
the deposit in the case of suoh persons is
unusually large. 1t is q well-known fact
that the nervous condition has a marked
effect upon the salivary gland. An Orien-
tai method of detecting crime is to take
several persons suspected of the offense
and require them to chew dry wheat. The
nervous fears of the guilty man seal up
his salivary glands and he chokes in
attempting to reduce the grain to pulp.
The Carnegie free library in Allegheny,
Pennsylvania, has become the fortunate
possessor of copy of Audubon's "Birds
of America" the gift of Mrs. William ].
Alexander of Monongahels. The work is
one of considerable rarity and of great
value, copies of the original edition of 1874
selling at from 80, 500 to $4,000. Some of
the plates are nearly three feet square and
coAsain life-size paintings of the largest
birds. 1t is not generally known that the
great naturalist's daughters live in the old
homestead near Audubon park, overlook
ing the Hudson. They were once pos
sessed of considerable wealth, but 1t WAS
lost through unfortunate investment, and
they are now in somewhat straitened cir
cumstances.
G. w. Dunn, the California naturalist,
has just returned from a tIip through
Lower California and Sonora. Zone day."
he says, at caught 200 insects of the cicu
della sommeri variety, which 1 have often
been asked for and which are worth 25
cents apiece That's what call pretty
good two hours work. For four or five
years have had scientists writing me for
these, and was never able to get them un-
til this time" Mr.. Dunn says that catch
ing insects and reptiles and picking up rare
plants pays very well. Years ago he
camped out in Lower California with Pro-
fessor Jordan, now president of the Palo
Alto university. He will start soon for
the Cuyamsca mountains to collect bulbs,
trees and shrubs for the Palo Alto botani-
cal gardens. He has collected over 1000
of the insects known as coleopteras, or
winged; 5000 orthopetra, comprising
grasshoppers and crickets; from 5000 to
1000 lepodoptera, or butterflies, and
plants and rare animals without number.
Over one hundred of the insects collected
on this tour are new.
The use of petroleum fuel for generating
steam in stationary boilers has become eI-
tensive, but it's application in connection
with locomotives and marine boilers has
not advanced beyond the experimental
stage. A paper read before tho London
Shipmasters' Society by Captain W. V.
Carmichael gives account of what Is prob
ably the most thorough testing of liquid
fuel on an ocean steamship yet had. Com
mander of vessel built originally for the
use of such fuel, the Kwo, he sailed her
under variety of conditions and found
the results most satisfactory in all. He
especially emphasizes the elements of ease
of handling constancy of steam pressure
attained, and safety. The last point may
occasion surprise, but 1t is explained by
the fact that petroleum "residuum" is the
form of fuel used, which is non-inflam-
mable up to $50 degrees. Captain Car
michael calls attention to the important
part which the new fuel may play in naval
affairs, showing how it would almost en-
tirely do away with the difficulties of coal
ing at sea, and would lessen the necessity
and value of coaling stations in all parts of
the world.