The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-07-31
lLlNSsSCienCey


A lately completed list OF Itngi SiF0
the total now known as 81, 1o7, not less
than 1853 species and varieties haFins
been added since August. 1879.
Our sense of smell is explained oy
Crookes as due to "electr0ns, or cnipS
of atoms, such as are given OH Dy ia
dunn, and which affect the retlna aS
we'll as the olfactory nerve. Smell Is
nearly lost in civilized man. A FRENCH
writer suggests that our sensltlvenesS
to odors will be increased by some III
strument analogous to the telescope
and then q new era will open.
The whole operation Of winking lasts
about four-tenths Of second. Inc
downward movement Of the eyelid oc-
cupies from seventy-five to ninety-thou-
sandths Of a second. At the end or the
descent lid rests for period when
varied with different persons from nr-
teen to enteen-hundredths, and the
ascending movement took seventeen
hundredths. las quick as winking."
therefore, means about four-tenths OF
a second.
An engineer Of Zurich, L. Thormann,
reports. after a careful examination,
that sufficient electric power could DE
developed from the waterfalls OF the
Alps to run all the railways Of Swltzer-
land. There would be little or no re-
duction Of cost, he says, but the time
may come when the change from steam
to electricity may be desirable, because
Switzerland has to import all the coal
she uses. From twenty-one waterfalls,
some Of which are already partially
utilized for Industrial purposes, 5000
horsepower could be developed, Dut
only $4,000 horsepower would be re-
quired to replace the steam power now
used on the railroads.
Although the predictions freely made
a few years ago that the development
Of electric traction would quickly drive
hores from the field of labor have not
been fulfilled, yet the Electrical ke-
view cites statistics to prove that the
disappearance of the horse Is actually
taking place, although so slowly as not
to attract much attention. In Paris the
number Of horses fell off about per
cent between 1901 and 1902. In Lon
don the decrease in the same time was
10 per cent. In Berlin, Vienna and st.
Petersburg a similar falling or IS
shown by the census Of horses. In New
York 1t Is estimated that the number
Of horses has decreased 33 per cent in
the last twenty years. But although
horses may be relieved of the burden
Of hard labor, 1t Is not likely that man
will ever Danish his ancient friend ana
servant wholly from the circle of his
pleasures.
The remarkable discovery Of Abbott
II. Thayer, the American artist, TO
which reference has before been made
in this column. that the graduation OF
colOrs on the bodies Of wild animals
tends to make them invisible. or unno-
ticeable, amid their natural surround
ings, has recently been the subject OF
renewed discussion. Prof. e. B. POul-
ton Of Oxford, England, regards the
discovery as exceedingly wide in it's APP
plicatfon- Briefly stated, the color law
which MFR. Thayer finds prevailing in
the animal kingdom produces an effect
exactly contrary to the ordinary shad
ing Of objects Illuminated by light from
the sky. Being dark above and light
below. and. moreover. having colors
harmonizing with those of its natural
environment. the animal, when motion
less, loses the appearance Of solidity,
and blends with the background so per-
fectly that often it escapes the eye.
This applies alike to quadrupeds and
birds. Fishes also show a similar gra-
dalton. and the law can be traced in
the insect world.