The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1893-04-28
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY


per cent c. the earthquakes thai have
been record d have occurred during
the six colder months Of the year the
maximum number IN Jauu4ry sud the
minimum IN July.
Since 1872 there have been 1876
auroras Of the fret magnitude soeu a.
far south as the Mediterranean il
Europe or Virginia in America. In
this lis. Mr. VI A. Veeder, Of Lyons.
n. Y finds striking proof Of the lor
asserted an verv Gun us fact that
suroras are most numerous near the
equinoxes, wbue les occur near the
solslces.
Considerable dsn.y vas no, Iong
ago caused near swamp in South
Australia by the discovery in the wet
lard Of new weed, which spread
rapidly and was refused BY horses and
cattle. This proved, hosev,r, to be
the lavender liant, which welded
very valuable oil and per;umed water
and By cultivation the dreaded weed
is likely to adj much u the wealth Of
the settlers.
Prot n. NJ Ward states that there
are probably more than 300 species of
oaks (quercus), OF which the majority
belong 10 North America, Europe,
China, Japan, and other parts Of Asia
There are none in Africa south of the
Mediterranean region, nor in South
America or Australia. Some 1emarka
be species are found in the Hima
layas, and many in the Malayan
archipelago.
CoopER FROM BlRps-Copper mas
been obtain oy Prot A. +. Church,
Of London, from turacln, crimson
pigmen. yielded by certain feathers of
the turacou, plAn;4iu eating bird of
Africa The average composition of
turacin is. Carbon, 81 81 per cent;
hydrogen, / 90; copper. Of; nitrogen.
$50 and oxygen, - II As the
copper in each bird Is no q ,l,e one =
fifth OF a grain, the commercial. value
Of this discovery wlll not ,qlAl its
scientific interest.
\ REMARKABLE FAuSA Among
the cur!osltes OF animal lie 10 the
panpas re gion of LaP.ara, MIR W II
Hudson mentions tue following: \
poisonous toad which kills hof-es; the
wrestler frog, which suddenly plnches
its en- my with its fore legs aud then
runs away a large, YEN nous man
chasing -P'der, winch pursues men on
foot and on horseback; dragon tlles
which sir ely w!ii cause ouds OF
gnats, nc: qqitoes and saLd flies t.
disappear instantly, and an opossum
which lives ID a treeless desert am
which on first being brought to a tree
will grasp It ana climb il with a. much
agility as any forest anima.
WHIsTLED SPANISH - From an in
vestigaton OF the whlsted languag,
Of Gomera and other OF the Canary
Islands, NJ. }. Lsj4rd conclu les tina
this is not special idiom or a whistle
which tres to initiate the Spanish
language, but tina, it is the Spanisi
language strengthened by the aid 0
whisthpg BY this artfice-wh istlin!
and speaking being c, mbned whi
one or more fingers are held in tn
mouth-the sound OF the voice is car
red much further that in ordlnar
speech, although the words are so in
distinct that strangers cannot uLd
stand The use OF whistled !auguag
seems TO have been more widespread
formerly than now.
a Nkw STEEL-Some Belgian AM
Prussian metallurgitts have work.
O., t and patented al improved metho
OF introducing carbon into purite
iron in proportions regulated to Civ
steel OF any desired kind. The
plan consists in adding to the molte
metal briquettes formed by com
pressing a mixture OF pulverlze
anthracite and lime water The co,
of recarbonlzation 5 said 10 be abOl
one sixth as great AS by the Old ferrt
manganese pro cess, but the most in
portant advantage is claimed TO t
the accuracy and uniformity wit
which any require d temper an
quality Of steel can be produced
Is anticipated that rails by h
method will wear rom 55to 10 year
BAcTERIoLoGY IN MEDICINE
meteorological attempts to combat il
fictitious diseases. different method