Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-03-12
POPbIAR SCIENCE.
OF the 657 existing kinds of reptiles,
co speeies are harmless.

OIL the 657 existing kinds OF reptiles,
co species are harmless,
Two rabbits within FIVE years will be
responsible for progeny OF 20, 900, 900.
To protect itself from the rain, the
orang- outang crooks its arms over its
head.
Edison is said to be perfecting tele-
,phonic device by which the roaring and
clustering of the sun spots cln be heard
by people on the earth.
For insomnia, try exercising fifteen
minutes with some light weight in the
hands Do not use anything heavy OF
you do yourself more harm than good.
By studying the spectrum of lightning
as it passes through the air, it has been
iound that sodium, the element from
which common salt is formed, exists in
'he atmosphere.
The Kentsh plover, like the stone
curlew or thiokknee, is being rapidly
exterminated in the English county from
which it derives its name by collectors
and so-called ''naturalists.
No horned tortoise now exists, bu! n
fossil specimen was found awhile ago
OH Lord Howe's Island, in the Southern
Pacific, which had four horns on its
crest and resembled cross between a
horned toad and swapping turtle.
Brown eyes, according to De Can lolle,
the famous scientist, are much more
common among women than among men.
The same gentleman declares that in re.
spect of health, persons of the browa
type are probably superior to those of
the blonde type.
One of the large winter hotels in the
Engadine is to be heated electrically by
power derived from the Mera River. 1t
seems that it is probabls that where nat
nral power is abundant this department
of electrical engineering is apt to become
! exceedingly important.
While making an excavation a few
lays since Harry Smith. of Hudson,
Hlich., found at the depth of twenty
1ine feet two stone feet supposed TO be
The petrifed extremities of some aborig-
nal or extinct race. They are perfect
specimens and are exciting much curl.
osity.
If a we'll could be dug to the depth
OF forty-six miles, the IDENTITY Of the air
1T the bottom would be as great as that
Of quicksilver. By the same law a cubic
inch of air taken 1000 miles above the
earth's surface would expand sufficiently
% fill sphere 1000, 900, 00Q miles in
diameter.
Professor Holman, Of the Massachu.
sets Institute Of Technology, has in
vented an improvement in the iHanufac-
ture of insulated wire. He kraids the
wire with regular braiding so % to have
an air space, air being one of the best
insulators. His method is being thor
oughly tested,
Wax is substance secreted by the
bee, and is analogous to Che fat CT the
higher animals. The wax OF a spaai IS of
bee common in Patagonia, Terra del
Fuego and other parts of Southern south
America and the adjacent islands, i a
lark blue in color and is said to be more
poisonous than arsenic.
A process has been patented in Eay-
and for deeolorizing animal, mineral
md vegetable oils, also fatty, oily, tatry,
resinous and waxy substances, through
the agency of chemically pure silicic acid,
obtained by precipitation from soluble
silicates. The material to be bleached
is mixed with silicic acid aud the cont.
pound is filtered, or it is passed through
filter containing the acid The lattee
is again purified by roasting, or the col
BRING matters are removed by means o.
benzole or bisulphide of carbon.