The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-03-31
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

+ SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
a Convenient cement-Dryness of
Houses-Animal Kinds-A Memoir
able ERacsmsnt-Habit in Plants.
An Imitation of Ball Lighting-A
Dose for steel-The Modern Way.
A much used material, known as Vi
enHese metal cement, is copper ANAL
gam prepared in the following manner:
Copper is precipitated as very fine
powder from solution of blue vltrlol
by means of strips Of zinc, and, after
being washed and then treated with
solution of mercurous nitrate, hot water
is poured over this copper In mortar
and the mercury-ln the proportion of
parts to OF copper-is added. The
mixture Is kneaded into very plastic
mass. The resulting amalgam becomss
so soft under water that II can be used
for modelling the most delicate objects
from plaster casts, 1t hardens into a
malloable mass that can be polished like
gold and is not readily furnished except
by hydrogen sulphide, and II Is a strong
cement or solder for metals, the bright
surfaces OF which 1t firmly unites at n
temperature OF so to 90 degrees Cent.
Whom impressions have been made on
thin sheets, the amalgam may be rein
forced by pouring on molten type
metal
The air Of furnace-hcated room has
been shown by Mr.. r. Dec. Ward to be
drler than that of many desert regions.
The mean relative humidity of the room
tested was 30 per cent for three weeks
10 November, and the mean relative hui
mildly in the open air for the same time
was II per cent, TIE lowest opcn-air
annual mean known In the United
States Is 42.O per cent for yuma, Ari-
IONA; that for Santa Fe, New Mexico
being AS per cent. A mean of 90 per
cent was found for Ave summer months
in Death Valley California.
The Berlin Museum of Natural His
tory contains 100000 animal specimens,
representing 100000 species 1t Is esti-
mated that total OF more than 100000
living species has now been described.
Of which the insects number 100000;
birds. 10000: fishes, 1900; reptiles $500;
amphibians, 1900; arachnolds, 10000;
rnollusks, $4,000; worms, 5000.
Experiments by E. Klein indicate
that. contrary to common belief such
germs as that OF cholera, typhus and
dlphtheria do not survive more than
three or four weeks after burial in the
ground,
There IL pathos unspenkablc in the
dnal disappearance from earth of any
of It's prominent life forms. Natural
lists of the nineteenth century have had
opportunity to watch the passing of a
remarkable animal in the Great AUX,
or Care Fowl. which still existed in
number of fiocks at the beginning OF the
century, but is now known only from
relies so priced that a skeleton has been
sold for 5000. a skin for $3.50, and an egg
for $50 gulneas. The bird was poorly
fitted for the modern life struggle.
While practically wiugless, and collect
ing together In helpless multltudes, 1t
tempted man by the food quality of
both flesh and eggs, and the continu-
ance OF the race depended upon sin
gle egg a year laid by each female. FIX
Ancticn. however, was gradual Boat
loads OF the eggs were SoIIec ,,s,, NOR Ut
than four centufleS ago III lS' .,ir uIlN
less destruction OF eggs and birds was
continued irregularly until, IN lSSo' the
sinking of volcanic island buried In
the sea the last Important breeding
place OF the auks, ana the Few Survivors
were left on the small Eicerly lslahd'
Here, on June z, 1874 three sailors cap
tured two specimens the last OF ihelr
kind, which were sFnhsleH ana solu LOT
,u.
The trees In the streets and pubic
places OF Paris are estimated, by NJ,
MorcIr % number about so. GOO OF
these 10000 are plane trees IIOoV ehest-
nuts and IL 900 Gins. the remainder be-
TO-. .,,,o,,oro ron,es IIndens. etc, with
'"s y '''','O'e y -, 49,, 80 ,,,I-
apparently oh'y o''' Va" ~ w. -
trees is great, In The centre Of Of, the h., city
5s@ 5ss y 2ss:s 9 e; i .;s 5
s s2 22a s e. ss2 : ssS
a. JtssoIyinr snow. But the greatest