The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1896-07-31

for oxygen has been utilized Oy M.
Morissan in new method of prepar-
ing alloys. The process consists in
throwing into a batch of liquid alu-
minum a mixture of The oxide to be
reduced and OF aluminium filings, and
it has yielded alloys of aluminium with
nickel, molybdenum, tungsten, uran-
Jun, and titanium. It is believed that
this method admits of general applica-
ton, and will make possible the pro-
duction of a number of new alloys
with refractory medals.
A committee of the British Associa-
ton was appointed five or six years
ago to investigate coral reef by sound
ing and boring. The project is now
being carried out under Prof. Sofas, ar
rangements having been completed for
m aking four-inch boring to depth
of about 1000 feet in Funafuti, an atoll
about fifteen miles in circumference
belonging to group due north of the
Fills. The core of this boring is eX-
pected to reveal the origin of the COM
ponent rocks.
A new hypnotic, unlike the Sleep
producers in being vegetable product
instead OF result of chemical synthe-
sis, has been isolated by Dr. Hefter, of
Leipsic. 1t is an alka!oid, called pei
lotin, from Mexican cactus known as
anhalonsum. AS tried, thus far, in
doses nearly up to two grains, it has
produced sound sleep in nearly all ner-
Gus disorders. Most patients suffered
no unpleasant after-effects, a few COM
planning of giddiness.
The complete skeleton of a human
being has been photographed by \
rays in Berlin, Wimshurst machine,
costing only $40 being used Instead of
an induction coil.
1t is believed near Niagara Falls that
the jar of the cataract has caused crys-
tails to be more common there than else
where, but study of the rocks has
given Prof. w. HI. Brewer no confir-
nation of this.
X
Astronomers are already preparing
for the next great shower of Leonids,
or November meteOrs. These showers,
which are among the most impressive
phenomena exhibited by nature to
man, are due to the crossing of the
earth's path of a stream of minute bod
ies-probably pebbles not exceeding an
ounce or two in weight, and spaced
mile or two apart in the densest pOr-
ton of the sWarm-which complete
q revolution in their orbit in about
331 years. The meteors cross the
earth's orbit at the point reached by
our planet on the 18th or 18th of No
vember, being next due at the place
where the orbits intersect in Novem-
Der, 1899, or November. 1900. AS the
stream is immensely long, the earth
will probably pass through the dense
part of it on both years, and may en-
counter scattered members of the
group on one or two years preceding
and following those named. The
thickness of the stream seems to be
about 100, 900 miles, but the earth pass
ing Obliquely through it, it is exposed
to the meteoric downpOur for about
five hours. The meteOrs are travelling
in the wake Of Temples comet, which
Leverrier thought was brought into
our system in the year 1875 of our era.
That this stream is comparatively new
is proven by the fact that it extends
over not more than tenth of its orbit,
while the August meteors, which
appear every year, have become
quite evenly scattered over their entire
orbit. Among other suggestions for
studying the LeOnids, DR.. JOhnstoneI
Stoney recommends attempts to pho
tograph the swarm, both at the time
when the earth is passing through it
and while it is still in outer space.
The swarm will be invisible to the eye,
except as the particles are burned in
our atmosphere, but may impress a long
exposed sensitive plate. Data that may
serve in tracing very remarkable past
history may be gained also by noting
the time when the earth encounters
the most advanced of the meteors-
possibly this year-and the hours when
the showers seem TO begin, to reach
their height, and to pass off. Any per-
son who, about the middle of next No
vember, witnesses display of shooting
stars from the constellation Lee, may
aid astronomy by recording exactly
what he sees.
An outbreak of anthrax in the Can
ton of Zurich, in district where the
disease has been unknown, has been
traced to neighboring horse-bair fac
tory. The raw material for this fac
tory comes from Russia, where anthrax
is cdlmon among horses, while it is
rare in Switzerland. Anthrax germs
were found not only on the horse-hair,
but also in the dust of the factory.
X X
A rather novel practice in these days
of counterfeits anu authorizations is the
sale of real article through the repre-
sentation that it is simply az imitation.
An investigation by Sir William Fow-
Ter has shown that, some feeling hav-
ing been aroused against the wholesale
destruction of small white herons or
egrets during the easoD in which they
have their nests and their young, GER
tain milliners have been trimming
hats with plumes that are warranted
to be artificial, but prove TO be unques-
fIonably genuine. '"Thus.u he declares,
zone of the most beautiful of birds is be-
ing swept off the face of the earth, un-
der circumstance of peculiar cruelty, to
minister to passing fashion, bolstered
up 10y a glaring falsehood.
Calcium carbide is thought 10y a
French experimenter, M. Chuard, to
promise valuable service in agriculture.