The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-27
SCIENTIFIC.

A night-blooming leguminous plant of
Trinidad is pollinated by the agency of
bats.
Roentgen rays have been found to act on
vegetation like very weak light in expert
ments by Signor G.. Tolomei.
From 123 answers to questions published
two or three years ago, Messrs. V. and c.
Henri find that a persons first memory
may be of an event occurring as early as
the age of six months or as late as eight
years-two to four years being the usual
age.
Typewriters' cramp, it appears, has come
to take the place of writer's cramp. We are
told, however, that the discomfort of such
a disease is more than offset by the en-
forced relief from the corset that the use
Of the typewriter is bringing to female
operators.
An indestructble ink for writing labels on
glass bottles is thus prepared, according to
a German chemist: Into a solution of TWEEN
ty grammes of brown shellac in $50 cubic
centimeterS of lamp spirit is slowly poured
a solution of thirty-five grammes of borax
in $50 cubic centimeters of distilled water,
a suitable coOring matter-such as one
gramme of methyl violet-being then added.
1t is remarkable fact that of over 100
finds of iron meteorites only nine have been
seen to fall, while of over four hundred
finds of stony meteorites more than one
half have been seen to fall Mr.. III. l..
Preston finds several reasons for believing
that the iron meteOriteS are merely the
cryStallized metallic nOdules contained in
the larger and more conspicuous stony
meteorites.
Some marvellous feats Of seeing through
opaque objects that have excited much
wonder at Montpelier, France, do not stand
the rigid tests of science. A committee of
the Academy of Science and Literature hid
two envelopes containing prepared cards in
their coats and placed a third in a box with
half of an exposed Photographic plate at
the contents of the box Were described
after an hour and half, and Jogging OF
the plate on development showed that the
box had been opened.
What he calls the sense of return in
pigeons and other animals is regarded by
NJ Pierre BONNER, in the light Of the latest
Investigations, as not due to a sixth sense
excited by the earth's magnetism, but as
an extraordinary development OF the mem
DRY of direction or of the power of keeping
bearings Whatever il may be, this sense
is one of nine functions of the inner ear.
This sense exists in man, but it has fallen
into disuse and ii is in those species de-
pendent upon the instinct for existence that
ii has attained great power.
The long-familiar laboratory method Of
drying the air by means of moisture-ab-
sorbing agent has been borrowed by a
Frankfort inventor for a patented dry bar
rel or box for preserving vegetables and
other substances. The new apparatus is
simply box with false bottom Of Stats.
under which is placed metallic tray con-
tanning caustic potash. The vegetables,
fruit etc. are placed on the false bottom,
and the air-admitted only through the
bottom-is dried before reaching them by
passage over the potash. One charge of
the drier is claimed to last six months
The Russian province of Kursk proves to
be one OF the most remarkable areas OF
magnetic disturbance yet known. NJ. Mour-
eaux reports that the differences between
theory and observation are SO great that
1t is not possible to draw isomagnetic lines.
and the magnetic force Is as great as 1t
magnetic poles. The dip OF the needle
ranges from As degrees to 70 degrees AT
two points about $50 yards apart the decli-
nations are minus II degrees and plus As