The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-08-18
SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY.

From two observations made July
*. 1858. of the aurora borealis at the
University of Toronto it was found that
its height above the earth was l6o
miles.
The white rhinoceros has become |
nearly if not quite extinct. There are
two stuffed specimens in England and |
one in the Cape Town museum. 1t Is
the largest specimen of the genus.
For protection wool and furs rank
first. then silk, cotton and linen. Any
LAYER of confined air is slow conductor
of heat. and n 1oose-ftting garment is
warmer in winter than tight-fitting
one in other respects the same.
-Droughts in Algeria are reported to
have caused much damage to the geran-
ium crop, which is raised for the pur-
pose of distilling geranium oil from the
leaves. The fragrant oil is used by
perfumers, part being sold under its
own name but still greater amount
is used for adulterating the altar OF
roses.
Specimens of the American lung
fish Mcpidosiren paradoxa) have been
sent to London from the upper Rio
| Paraguay. This and the Prolopterus
of African rivers have been thought by
DIR. Ayers to be congeneric, and even
| varieties of our species, but their gen.
| eric distinction has been lately reaf-
| firmed by German and English authori-
| ties.
| Water is compressible theoretically,
| hot
amount of water is subjected to an adj
ditional pressure of one atmosphere 1t
is compressed one-twenty-thousand
part of its bulk. Thus, for all practical
purposes, it is correct to say that you
cannot get more than four quarts OF
water into gallon vessel under any
circumstances.
More than three hundred species OF
fish hitherto unknown to naturalists
are described by NJ Leon Valiant as
inhabiting the lakes of Borneo. Many
other fish are identical with species Nv
ing in the waters of the Sunda islands
and of Indo-China. AS these species
never reach the sea, they furnish an
other argument in favor of the theory
of former connection of these coun-
tries.
The Capricornian, an Australian
journal, says that 1.-The introduction OF
the little fruit baskets as used in Cali
fornia. into which the fruit is picked
direct, has given flip to fruit eating
and growers find it so profitable tina,
neither producer nor consumer VII
now rest content until the whole of the
California system of handling fruit has
been introduced to South Australia.
An English scientist. after careful
experiments. finds that when potatoes
are cooked without removing the skim
they lose only 3 per cent. OF nutritlv'
quality through extraction of the juice
When the skins were removed befor
boiling the loss was IA per cent. whicl
makes the process of cooking the pota
toes without their jackets an exceed
ingly wasteful one.
"A singular instance of connectlo
between superstition and agricultural
nests is reported from Ceylon. TIL
high-class Buddhist Cingalese refuse t
destroy the predatory insects which In
fest the tea plantations as they regar
it sin to take life. Consequently tn
tea plantations owned by them becom
O the breeding ground for moths an
other insects, and source OF infectio
to neighboring plantations. :.
The following instance OF tenacl,
s of life in land snails is given by Nj
Stearns, of the United States Nation;
Il museum: Certain snails were collecte
a on Cerros or Cedros island, off the coa'
i of Lower California in 1859. Six yea
L later one of them, on being placed In
It box of moist earth, began to MOI
e about Another shell, also from Low
California, woke up from its letharf
IS after long nap of two years, ty
,, months and sixteen days"
r The Baluban tribe of Central Afri
n are famous for their skill in castii
a. and forging iron. They construct ia
is cylindro-conical furnaces of clay Wi
N tuyeres of clay and ingeniously devils
wooden bellows. They make arms I
lie hunting and for war, and collars al
lie bracelets of iron. The neighboring
r. tives resort to them in great numbe
y. to exchange their own products for t
is manufactures of the Balubans.-Por
It, lar Science Monthly.
20 WOMEN OF IMPERIAL ROME