The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-07-24
NATURES CURIOSITY SHOP.

The most curious specimens of veget
able or plant life in existence are the 60
called "living stones" of the Falkland
Islands. Those islands are among the
most cherries spots in the world, beirg
constantly subjected to a strong polar
wind. In such climate it is impossible
for trees to grow erect. as they do in
other countries, but nature has made
amends by furnishing supply of wood
in the most curious shape imaginable.
The visitor to the Falklands sees, scat
tered here and there. singular shaped
blocks of what appear to be weather
beaten and moss-covered powders in
various sizes. Attempt to turn one of
these "bowlers" over and you will meet
with surprise, because the supposed
stone is actually anchored by roots of
great strength; in fact you will find that
you are fooling with one of the native
trees. No other country in the world
has such peculiar forest" growth, and
it is said to be next to impossible to
work the odd shaped blocks into fuel
because it is perfectly devoid of grain"
and appears to be nothing but twisted
mass of woody fibers.
A remarkable phenomenon in sound
transmission is claimed to have been
discovered in the Garden of the Gods
in Colorado, by Prof. Burrill and Prof.
Davenport of the University of Illinois.
They assert that one of them stood near
the center of the east side of the rock
north of the entrance, while the other
was upon hill opposite, distance of
third of mile, and while in these posi-
tions accidently discovered that they
could hear each Others voices distinctly,
although neither spoke louder than a
conversational tone. The entrance or
gateway to the Garden of the Gods"
as it is called, is narrow roadway be-
tween giant rookie. This rugged forma-
ton is broken just within the entrance,
and the irregular masses rising above
ones head are so arranged by nature as
to magnify the volume Of sound. The
dry rarefed air accelerates sound trans
! mission in this altitude, 30 that the
human voice can be heard a greater dis
tance than in dense atmosphere.
1t is said that the largest chestnut
tree known in the world is at Mt. Etna,
in Sicily, but one of the oldest and most
remarkable trees in Great Britain is
chestnut at Torworth, the residence of
the Earl of Ducie. near Bristol. In the
reign of Stephen, who assembled the
throne in 1135. it was, according to the
Naturalists' journal, deemed so remark
able for its size that. as appears upon
record, it was we'll known as a signal
boundary of the Manor of Tortworth.
1t seems probable that this tree is
thousand years DID, at least. 1t is still
in very fair vigor, and last year produced
large crop of nuts. 1t measures near
ly fifty feet in circumference; the body
is short-only about ten feet in height
and it then divides into three huge
tru ks, one of which measures nearly
thirty feet in girth.
What is believed to be the largest
glacial bowlder in this country is near
the little town of Madison, N. III. 1t is
So feet long, 40 feet high, 46 feet wide
and 226 feet in circumference. The
weight is estimated at 16,800 tons. A
prominent naturalist who has spent
many summers in Madison, and has
taken much interest in this giant bowl
der, has consulted all the authorities on
the subject and finds that there is only
one glacial bowlder which will CON
anywhere near it in size, and that is in
Greenland.
In Algeria there is river whose wa
ters flow genuine ink. The stream Q
formed by the junction of two small
rivulets, one of which, flowing for many
miles over ferruginous soil, is strongly
impregnated with salts of iron. The
other stream contains considerable
proportion of gallo acid, so that when
the two unite a black fluid similar to
ink is formed.
Dubuque county. Iowa, boasts the
possession of the most unique subter-
ranean lake in the world-an under
ground body of water with a bottom
formed throughout of pure crystals of
lead. The farm upon, or rather under.
which this curious lake is situated is
near the regions which made that por-
ton of the Northwest territory famous
before the opening of the present cen
fury, The prospectors who discovered
the cavern in which this lead bottomed