The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1893-06-09
sClEETIFiC MISCELLANY.


Probably 10 four wUrsls III common
nse lave become more tangled amt
cOnfuse'i in the minds Of learned AID
nnlearned thasl .encao, coca, COCO and
Cocoa. Dr. Eugene Murray Aaron
points out this: even critics themselves
stumble in attempts to clear away the
confusion, and he mentions that the
four distinct products to which the
names beIOrg-the Erst and last of
great Importance commonly mixei
under the one term. cocoa. These pro
duets are: 1. ClcaO 7Heotronio Cdcd'.,
the chocolate laGry tree. This is an
evergreen growing from fifteen to forty
five feet. a native of tropical America
but now become wiki III Africa. 1t
bears pointed pods, each of which COLI
taiEs 4 number of nutritivc seeds.
From the seeds are derived ''cacaO
nils, ''c',ocolatei (the most import
ant substance, ''cacao" (erroneolisly
called "cocn;.'' in English countriesl.
..hroma," .scacao shells" and '.eacaU
butter. 2. Coca Erythrory.on Coca.
the coca Leaf bush. This shrub Is
found in the Andes. and is famed for
TIE extraordinary stimulating proper
ties. of its l.aves. which are known as
esir,dic:' as well as coca and co J.
ttin two alkaloitis-cOc ain and hygrin
,. Coco ir"l .afum fscu,entun,, & ail. the
coco roots. The name is properly
applied only To the tubers of several
allied species Of plants, whicI furnish
4 starch laden food in tropical coun-
tries. 4. C.noa {Coccs mtcJera}, the
cocOamut palm. which yields the well
known hard-shelled fruit, together
with valuable fiber.
Copper has been obtaine'! hy Prof.
\. +. Church, Of London, from turacin.
a crimson pigment yielded by certain
ing bird of Africa. The average com
position of tnra:in is: Carbon, SIS .6S
per cent: hy,lrngeH. 4 90; copper, 7.01:
nitrogen, 6. 9G; AMI OXYGEN, 27.74. AS
the copper III each bird is not quite
one nth of grain the commercial
value Of this disc very viii not equal
its scientific interest.
1t has heen calenE.t ed that over co
per cent of the earthquakes that hay
been recorded have occurred during
the six colder months of the year-tha
maximum plumber in January ah l the
minimum in July.
Some Belgian and Prussian metal
lurgists have WORKED out and patented
an improved method Of introducing
carbon into purified iron in propo, tons
regulated To give steel of any desired
kind. Their plan CONSISTS in adding
TO the molten metal brique,tes formed
by compressing Il mixture of pu!verized
anthracite and .iiIe water. The cos;
of REORGANIZATION is said to be about
one sixth as great ~ Ivy the old fsrrn-
magi,nene process. but the WGst
important advantage IL ci;.imcs IN he
the accuracy ana uniformity with
which any required temper anas;tr;;li;y
Of steel can be produced. 1t is ant;ci
pateh that rails by this method will
wear fr0p thirty to forty years.
From an investigation OF the wills
tied language of Gonlera and Other Of
the Canary islands, NJ. J. Lnjaid CON
cludes that this is not i, special iJion
or whistle WHICH tries 10 initiate the
Spanish ianSaage, but that it is the
Spanish language strengthened by the
alt Of whistling. by this arti.ic.-
whistling and speaking being combined
while one or mere fingers are held in
the mouth-the sound of the voice is
carried much farther than in ordinar,
speech, although tile words are $"
indistinct that strangers cannot under
stand. The use of whstied language
seems to have been more widespread
formerly than now.
Prof II. n. Ward st:rtes THAT there
| are probably more than 800 species of
oaks (Qvercwsj, Of which the majority
| belong to North America, Europe.
China, Japan, and other parts of Asia,
There are none in Africa south of the
Mediterranean region, nor in South
| America III Australia. Some remark
able species are found i'm the iIina-
layas, and lul1y i, the Mllay;.n arcin-
pelago.
Considerable tlisnl,y was no. Ion.
ago caused near swamp in South
Australia by the discovery in the wet
land Of u new weed, which s:'r-,:.i rap
idly amt wls refused by h.rsps ana
cattle. This prove., however to 'e ,!,..
lavender plant, which yiel.S yer,
valuable oila.'i ierf,rnei water, an,:
by cultivation the drpaile w,,e.i i,
! likely 20 add much - the wealth of
the settlers.
A French engineer has made Il hand
Camera in the form of IN opera glass,
one objective serving as IL 6nder and
tile other ~ The photographic lens.
Among tile curiOsi:ies OF animal life
in the pampas region Of Il, Plata, Mr..