The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-06-13
Science and
Recent Inventions.

HUtGlIt IlIv6llllUlI0l
Monthly Weather Review: The wet
bulb thermometer, for determining
moisture in the AMIR. is made and used
as follows: Provide two thermometers
and tie a bit OF the thinnest muslin
neatly around the bulb of one of these
and keep it soaked with water. Lift
this thermometer out of the water and
whirl it briskly through the air for
two minutes. if the air is very dry,
and for three or four minutes il the air
is very moist. Read it quickly, and it
gives the temperature of a thin layer
of water evaporated under the infiu-
ence Of the wind produced by the
whirling. The dewpoint of the air in
which the thermometer is whirled is
about as far below the wet-bulb as
this is below the temperature of the
dry-bulb similarly whirled and read
rapidly. The two thermometers may
be hung side by side on short piece
of string for convenience; and this is
then called the sling psychrometer."
\
of a family of thousands, it is SOFT
pulpy, white. eyeless, legless. When
mature it affords the student one of
the most marvellous fields in all nature,
with it's nerve clusters and brain, it's
feet like the hoofs Of a rhinoceros, a
thousand hollow hairs ON each footpad
the wings, which make $4,000 vibra
tons second, and the eyes. There are
5000 Of these, each a perfect lens.
u
A f1y's eyes are hard, immovable and
retain their form after death. AS a
fly cannot turn it's head it has eyes in
all directions. So small are these eyes
that 100000 would not cover the sur
face of a square inch. Each eye meas
ures thousandth part of an inch and
the color is almost always red Each
of these eyes is az lens and photographs
have been taken through them. The
lenses are of varying kinds-some suit
able for looking of at distance, 9th
ers for things close at hand. Occa-
sionally, with his thousand eyes, a fly
is deceived. This is evidenced when a
bluebottle inside a room heads for the
open country. He does not see the
window glass and the thump with
which he strikes and the angry buzz
which shows his discontinue shows
how mistaken he was.
To prove there is nothing extraor-
binary in a fiy's having 5000 eyes it
is known that a certain beetle owns
5O,O16 eyes; a certain butterfly Alto;
a common dragon fly 25,CSS, and a
silkworm moth 12,5 500
When the history of education dur
ing the nineteenth century comes to
be written, one of it's most striking
features will be presented by the rise
and growth Of science in the general
educational arrangements of every civ
ilized country. AT the beginning of
the century our schools and colleges
were still following, with comparative
ly little change, the methods and sub
jects of tuition that had been in use
from the time of the middle ages. But
the extraordinary development of the
physical and natural sciences, which
has done so much to alter the ordinary
conditions Of life, has powerfully af
fected also our system of public in
Struction. The medieval circle of
studies has been widely recognized not
to supply all the mental training need
ed in the ampler range of modern re-
quirement. Science has, step by step,
gained a footing in the strongholds Of
the older learning. Not without vehe-
ment struggle, however, has she been
able to intrench herself there. Even
now, although her ultimate victory is
assured, the warfare is by no means
at an end.-Sir Archibald Geike, in
Popular Science Monthly.
A novel idea in the tea and coffee line
recently patented consists in placing
enough of the article for one brewing
in a small porous sack and attaching
it to a metal weight, which sinks to
the bottom of the pot when dropped in.
A Frenchman has patented a compo-
sition for closing punctures in pneu-
matte tires, consisting of gutta percha,
a balsam, birdaime, turpentine, sat-
urated solution of eelluloid and a SOW
ent to prevent the mass from hardening
inside the tire.
An Ohio woman has patented tea
kettle attachment which will prevent it
from swinging around against the hand
when tilted to pour out the wafer, a.
piece of wire being secured to the side
Of the kettle and extended to the
handle.
A Canadian has designed an ice skate
which has the foot plate pivoted TO the
center of the runner, with spring at
the front and rear. which allow the
foot to rock up and down at each stroke
and cushion the skate in passing over
rough ice.
Slipping on icy pavements is prevent
ed by handy shoe attachment made
of wire, spring clamps being formed Of
a shape similar to the sole of the shoe,
with short prongs set in the under side
to sink into the ice and afford secure
hold for the foot.
Fish are easily caught by the use of
a new spring hook, comprising single
piece of wire bent to form a spring at
theu center, with barbed hooks at the
ends, the latter being crossed when the
hook is set and spreading apart when
taken by the fish
A Georgian has patented driving bit
which can be used to give medical
treatment to the animal. the center of
the bit being hollow, with screw thread
ed ends, to which flexible bulbs can be
attached to contain a medicament, dis