The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-10

ing no action at ALL When injected into
animals the toxins formed by microbes ana
the venins of serpents cause the production
of anti-toxins and anti-venins. which nett
tralize their action apparently by chemical
combination. in somewhat the same way as
an acid and an alkaH, each poisonous by it
SELF, combine to form comparatively inert
salt.
Oceanography has made such rapid prog
ress in recent years that the best sea maps
are defective and out of date knowledge
Of the ocean has become OF Importance In
many industries, and pending the prepare
ton Of an elaborate sea atlas of large scale
maps, Prof. J. Tnoulel urges the publiea-
ton of large charts showing. in addition
10 the usual current charts. the accufate
contours of the sea bottom within 30
meters Of the surface aud the lithologiea.ll
muddy sand. and 'Inud"lof the deposits
on all coasts
a human-like propensity for stealing a
ride seems to be possessed by certain in
sects. In Algeria Rev. A. e. Eaton has
noticed flies of the Borborinae group com
fortabIy settled on the prothorax ard wing
covers Of large coDrophagous beetles, as
many as haiI n dozen females sometimes
securing passage on single beetle. The
beetles frantic efforts TO free itself from
it's load by rolling over ana scraping with
its legs are quite useless. Another OBJ
server mentions a lace-Wing fly which has
on one or both wings black raised spots,
of travelling on other wings-though not
rapid enes-than their own.
While the general effects upon metals of
traces Of foreign substances are deleterious
certain combinations are known to be very
useful and valuable. A very complete man
ual of alloys just Published a. Milan names
Margot's alloy-a combination Of % per cent.
of gold, with IS per cent. OF aluminium--as
perhaps the most beautiful although lack
n ms 10 a :
with curious ruby-red reflections. The yellow
alloy of platinum and aluminium can, by
modification OF the proportions, be rendered
violet or greenlSh. rose-colorcd alloy is
obtained, with $50 parts Of sold, 40 parts OF
silver and 80 parts OF copper.
The source of the Roentgen rays from
focus tube is determined by a simple eX-
pertinent by Dean Molioy, a Scotch phys
icist. small deal board into which sew
eral rows of slender nails have been driven
is attached to the back of fiuorescent
screen, and the whole mounted on a stand
which can be slowly revolved in a circle
about the focus tube. The shadows of the
nails Indicate the exact position OF the
source of radiation. On adjusting the tube
so that the central nail gave only black
spot for a shadow in all positions of the
screen, it was found that the radiation
must come from near the center OF the
platinum plate. BY means OF a pin-hole
image the area of radiation was shown to
be IRE gularly circular patch about
quarter OF an men III diameter.
Just before the middle of each November
the earth crosses the orbit of a remarkable
stream of cometary fragment whose fall
into our atmosphere gives rise to the
Leonids, or November meteors. These par
ticles move in an orbit whose period
equals about thirty-three of our own years,
and some of the most brilliant celestial
phenomena ever witnessed by man have
been due to the fact that this stream of
world dust is mostly condensed into a small
portion of the great orbit. Hence it is that
on five or six years out of the thirty-three
the November meteors are likely to be
especially notable. The maximum display
is expected in November. 1899, but as a
magnificent downfall was witnessed in Eu-
rope and in America on the morning of
Nov. Is, 1864, two years before the last max,
imum, it is expected that the earth Will
again enter the denser portion of the me
teoric stream this year. Our planet will be
central in the stream on Nov. A. just before
daylight in America. This will be mid
day for Europeans, while American Observ-
ers will have the disadvantage of a moon
only five days past the full, so that the ex-
pected meteoric shower will probably not
be seen at it's best.