Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-02-18

The insect-eating insect the mantis
is becoming popular as an ally of tne
farmer and hoTticulturist. The insect
is found commonly in France and Ger
many, where it is priced for it's ae-
struction of pests. All insects except
ants are it's prey, and tid-bits for it are
grasshoppers, caterpillars, spiders aud
the tussock moth. A few years ago it
appeared in Rochester, brought there,
it is presumed, in a shipment Of nurs-
cry stock from abroad. 1t thrived an
multiplied, and soon forced a recogni-
ton of it's value. It is believed that it
will thrive anywhere in this latitu -.
From Rochester it has been traas-
ferred to Buffalo by E. M. Adams, SUI
perintedent of the Buffalo Foresters
association, who hopes by it's aid &C
solve the problem Of the protection of
the trees in that city. New York
Evening Post.
Professor Pickering of Harvard col-
lege, wants 100000 to build and en-
dow an astronomical observatory
south of the equator. One of the
greatest needs of astronomy at the
present time, he says, is a large tele-
scope mounted in the southern hemis-
phere. Nearly all the largest tele-
scopes of the world are north of lati-
tude 80 degrees north, and only one Or
two of them are located where the
condition of the air permits work of
~ oh do In hn In
many departments of astronomy 40
work of this character has been under
taken on any of the extreme southern
stars The cost of a telescope of the
largest size would be about 800, 900,
and unequal sum would be required
ior a building and incidental expenses.
The observatory at Cambridge nov
has an income of $4,000, but decreas-
ng rates of interest cut down the in
;ome and more endowment is wanted.
Professor Pickering's report.
In a recent test of wireless teie-
)hony across the Mississippi river st
st. Paul evidence was given of tao
Utility of the method which may result
n the adoption of the plan when the
mechanism has been perfected. The
distance across the river at that point
S 1000 feet, and in spite of a stroag
wind and extremely cold weather, con
versation was carried on with little
difficulty The name wireless tele-
phony is something of a misnomer, as
wires have to be used. One hundred
and fifty feet were stretched parallel
to the river on each side and the
transmitters and receivers were ut
tached to each set, the voice vibra-
tions beingc arried across the river
from one and registered ON the other
New York Evening Post.
The little planet Eros is soon to be
an object of special interest. It's near
approach isg enerally regarded as the
most important astronomical event of
the year. The value of observations
of this object for paraliax is probably
overestimated, since it will be too
faint for satisfactory measurement
with heliometers, and it is doubtful if
our present knowledge of the solar
parallax can be greatly improved by
observations of Eros made this year.
Accurate determinations of its abso-
lutte positions will doubtless be Of
great value, but this work will be un-
dertaken at so many observatories
that much of the time spent could
probably be more usefully expended
On other objects. Accordingly, while
many photographs will be taken here,
; is doubtful if all will be measured
Mess the number obtained elsewhere
roves to be insufficient Professor
ickering's Report.
Bronx Park Garden, New York, has
species of mountain sheep absolute
new to SCIENCE" called the "Ovis
Fannini," in honor of the curator Of
the Provincial Museum of British Col
umbia 1t is known in the Klondike
region as a "saddle-b backed" or pie
bald" sheep. It's head neck, breast,
abdomen and the inside of it's forelegs
are snow white. The other portions
of the body are brownish gray, Civ
ing the animal the appearance of be-
ing covered with gray blanket.-Re
port of Director of New York Zoologi-
Cal society.
Arctic exploration in 1901 is to be
undertaken by a number of natiols
On the part of the United States
Peary is now in the north of Gre en-
land, pushing toward the pole; and
Mr.. e. B. Baldwin. representing Mr..
William Zieglar of New York, is nov
in London inspecting ships and pre-
pairing for an expedition north by wav
of Franz Joseph Land. Vice-Admirol
Makaroff, of the Russian navy, is fit
ing out the Russian ice-breaker Err
mack at Newcastle for a trial on some
what the same route. The duke Of
Abruzzi, who took the Stella Palare
within 241 miles of the pole and %
miles nearer than Nansen, will joi
with the latter in another attempt by
the same route, also by way of Franz
Joseph Land. The Germans are plan
ming an expedition and Sverdrup,
Swede, and Stein, a German-American