The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-12
SCIENCE NOTES.


awarding OF the Pollok prize has decided
that none of the devices shown at Havre
/ are worthy OF the large award. Therefore
there viii be another competition held at
some future date
According to experiments made by A.
| Nabokich. chiefly on Zea mays, the
growth Of the higher plants does not. in
| most cases, cease when they are entirely
deprived OF oxygen nor do they become
altogether insensitve TO external irrita-
| tions. The formation OF chlorophyl is,
however entirely suspended, even in the
light. IL Is prabablc that some seeds can
Germnate without oxygen, but this does
NOT appear TO be the case with the spores
or fungi.-Ber. Deutsch, Bot, Gesell. %,
222
Prof IIartog. Of Cork. has discovered
that the movement of the frogs tongue is
not the result OF direct muscular action.
but 10 the Injection Of lymph into the
bag-like tongue Ordinarily the tongue
lies with IT'S tip an the throat. and when
the frog darts IL out IL IS doubled for
ward with lightning rapidity and returned.
with as great celebrity 10 It's normal posi-
ton. The professor. 20 illustrate his dis
cOvery more comprehensively, has con-
structed small model i'm which the
movements are shown.
The date for the Archaeological Con-
gress has been fixed for April, 1893 at
Athens. This decision Is probably influ-
enced hy the current belief that the Olym-
plan games will also be held there about
the same time The congress will convene
for fifteen DAYS. the first five OF which
viii be given 10 discussions IN conven-
tion and the last ten 10 excursions among
the various places OF archaeological inter
est in Greece. The subjects for general
a acffa a
lie Invitations will be extended TO uni
yersities and colleges and 10 the heads of
governments.
The kress airship was tested at Tull-
nerbacher. Lower Austria. few DAYS
ago The sirship WAS propelled by D.
horse power motor The idea of Herr
kress, who has been working upon the
problem for over twenty-five years was
10 sail first on water, and when the pro-
.pellers drive the airship at a speed of
thirty-five feet n second IL would rise and
sail In the air. He found on trial that
when sufficient speed was reached the
airship would rise. but when II was only
a few feet above the surface a terrific
squall turned II over and "a went 10 the
bottom OF the lake. Herr Eress had on
a life belt and 40 escaped drowning
The English Chancellor OF the Excheq-
ter proposes the lew or an import tax
upon diamonds. " IL estimated that the
output of the De Beers syndicate i'm
South Africa alone amounts 10 500 1900 O0O
per annum. while large quantity is also
imported from Brazil Therefore a large
sum should be -realizeay-epeli TT 10 per
cent, from this source of revenue. The
principal difficulty that initiates against
the maturing OF sach a scheme IL Che
collection of the tax. but II Is anticipated
that this difficulty will be easily over
come. II is stated that the result of such |
a tax will be TO drive the diamond-cutting !
industry 20 the Continent OF Europe. The |
major portion Of the diamonds dispatched !
10 Britain are I'm their raw state. and IL |
Is not expected that the cutting firms
would pay 10 per cent upon the raw ma |
tcrial, bot would establish markets for l
their goods upon the Continent, where |
NO such taxation exists. The Continental |
retailers would also have the advantage /
of being able To disperse OF this goods ten /
per cent cheaper than the English /
vendor.
DIR. Allan Sturse delivered an interest
Ing address before the British Assoeia-
ton for the Advancement of Science held 4
lt Glasgow. on THE Stone Age OF Man
and his Coexistence with the Ice Age"
After alluding To- the researches OF Arch
bishop Cssher and Prof Flinders Petrie.
he recounted his own Investigations on
he subject lie exhibited some stones that
he had himself discovered, and which ne
'Silltldleu were idSnlpneu thousands OF
years before patination occurred patina- |
ion. he explained. alone takes thousands /
if years To- mark the stones I'm tho man
ler IN which those he had discovered |
we're marked. The scratches on the stone
lc adduced to the effect OF ice. and tho
lint must have been fashioned by a pal
'olithic man some thousands of wears be-
ore those glacial epochs which come
'ouud once In every 2o.00e years An inter-
sting discussion followed. mainly led 10 |
pr John Evans. the celebrated archeolo-
yist Dr. Evans severelN ctincfscd Dr. |
'turge's theories and explained away the
supposed patinstlon marks % duc 20 the
'hcmical constitution ~ fiints. the pecu-
Tar strata ln which thes had been found:
n possobly its utilization bv the psleo-
ithic man for scraping oily matter from
nimsls' skins. by witch means the flint
Iad become impregnated with sufficient
NJ 20 permit u 90 resist patinstion for an
nterminablc length OF time. lie also en-
esvored 90 point out that the scratches
upnosed ~ b. d1c 90 patination we're not !
ctually the rcsulta or The action during
he slscial period. but were due To the
'resence Of sand.