Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-03-12
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY


Considering three varying character
lstics OF races (cephalic index, or ratio
of extreme width to extreme length OF
skull, measurement OF stature, and
color of skin and hair), II French an
thropologist finds that, while under
three headings these give twenty-seven
possible combinations, In reality only
six occur in considerable numbers
among the inhabitants of Europe. with
four more in smaller numbers. lie
concludes that only the following six
primary races-excluding Turks. etc.
-inhabit Europe: Northwestern race
blonde, dolichocephallc dong -headed),
very tall; eastern race-blondc. sub
dolichocephallc, short; hero insular
race-brown, very dolichocephallc, very
short western race-brOwn, very
brachycephalic (broad headed). short:
Atlanto- Mediterranean race brown,
subdolichocephalic, tall; Adrlatic race
brown, brachycephalic, tail. These
four secondary races are probably due
to mixtures of the primary: a race OF
eastern Prussia-blonde, unacceptable
medium headcd), tall; of Sweden
blonde, unacceptable, very short; or
ireland and Belgium-mediurn. sub
dolichocephalic, tall of Holland to
Bavaria-auburn, sub brachycvphalic,
medium.
The primary object OF the insect
grating experiments begun II year or
more ago by Mir. Henry l.. Champion
Jr., has been study OF insect colora-
ton, concerning which the results have
not yet been satisfactory, Chrysalids
of moths have been Joined In many
ways. Twin unlons-head to head. tail
to tail, back to back, and wing to wing
have been most successful. fourteen
out of sixty-ninc surviving, OF tandem
unions in normal proportions. only one
attempt in thrty-two was successful
where the species were different. Tan
dem unions of more than half of each
pupa give better results, and give
monstrosities with two sets Of wings.
The European hornet is shown by
Dr. l.. o. Howard to have existed near
New York city for at least fifty years.
yet 1t has spread less than l5O miles.
In Europe the species usually inhabits
outhouses. but in America the nests
are almost invariably built in hollow
trees.
SO small a creature as the beaver,
according to Mr.. II. II. Woodward of
the British Museum, has changed the
character of a considerable portion of
the British Isles to n remarkable de-
gree. The borders of the fens were once
covered with forest, and the beaver
was one of the most plentiful animals
of the region. Its dams turned the
streams from their natural course. The
w0ter-as in the valleys of the Lea,
the Ouse. the Cam, and the Nene-was
thus made to flow over the country at
random. the valleys gradually becom-
and forming what we know as the fen
lands.
A surgical operation upon n woman
of rs has resulted In a fistula-
through which DIR. Franz Pfaf has
been enabled to study the effects of
drugs on the secretion of bile. The
investigations correct a general delu-
sion by showing that drugs have no in
fluence. Calomel and corrosive subli-
mate did not affect the flow of bile.
salol caused very slight increase, and
the only substance that produced any
marked effect was the woman's own
bile administered in pills. These pills
increased the secretion more than
third in twenty-four hours, the quanti-
ty becoming less than before on ceas-
ing to give the pills.
An effort has been made to determine
the pulling strengths of elephants.
horses and men. Attached to n dynamo
meter. Barnum and Bailey's largest