The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-06-21
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SCIENTIFIC


|
The sun. drawing its attendant
planets, is journeying through space at
the rate OF to Il miles a second. It's
path is often supposed to be orbitst
and to extend around the cluster Of
stars known as the Pleiades in a period
of millions of years. From obsecva-
tons on $50 stars. studying their sp-
proach or recession with the spectre
sope, Prof. w. w. Campbell has placed
| the point toward which we are zsw
heading in the constellation Hercules
nearly 10 deg. south of Alpha Lyra or
Vega.
The prevalent idea that tropical twi-
| light is very brief--not more than sf-
teen or twenty minutes-is corrected by
Mr.. S. 1. Bailey. who states that in s-n-
eral the light does not fade away uceit
the sun has sunk about IS degrees ss.-
low the horizon. The time varies n N
the latitude, and the North Pole las
about six months of daylight, followed
by nearly two months of decreasing
twilight followed in turn by more than
two months of night. In summer. places
beyond SO degrees of latitude have twi-
light from sunset to sunrise. In the
temperate zones the duration is from
an hour and half 10 two hours, aad
descent is vertical. more than an hour
is necessary for reaching the pcint
stated. Actual observation shows that
tropical twilight is never less than an
hour. usually much longer. AT Are
quipa, Peru, whose height of 5000 feet
and clear atmosphere favor very short
twilight. the light of the sky cast a
faint shadow seventy minutes after
sunset.
Birds with vestiges OF claws on the
wings are well known. though not com
mon. Mentioning some of them. NJ. V.
Delosiere states that the Archaeop-
teryx. the oldest of fossil birds. had at 3
the end OF its wings well-formed sa-
gers, each with a strong claw. The
hand" terminating the wings Of mod
ern birds usually has three fingers
without claws. But there are still
wings with horns or spurs, IL these
cannot be called claws. and the wing
of the ostrich. the largest of birds. Is
armed with double horn. The Chionis
of southern lands. the Spiny Hoplop-
ters OF Africa, and the Jacana of South
America are other birds having spurs
or spines on the wings. Most formid-
ably armed of all birds is the Kamichi
or Horned Screamer, large and
blackbird of Brazil and
neighboring forest regions. this Great
ure having near the top of each wing
two sharp horns. one about two inches
long, and on its head another pointed
horn three or four inches in length.
The beak and claws of this bird are
very powerful.
Considering the discovery of the fu-
ture" in a recent Royal Institute lee
ture, AFR II. G.. Wells is forced 90 the
that man is not the final
product of evolution. The rapid chang
IS in life's conditions point to further
development. and what is to come after
man is the most persistently fasci-
iating and the most insoIuble question
n the whole world" Imagination sup
lies no answer. But we may note that.
While man Is still man. greater changes
must come than have been known, that
'ur dense populations are in the open
ng phase of process or diffusion and
leration. and that the white popuIa-
ion at least will be forced some way
IL the scale of education and personal
in the next two or three dec
ldes. After this, within a couple of
hundred or a thousand years or so, will
ome great world state. with a DELHI
rate Improvement of the blood and
haracter of the race. over the hill
which this beautiful state stars Ne
annot peer. but what we can see and
imagine gives us measure and faith for
Fhat surpasses the imagination.
Among the products of the electric
nrnace now giving promise of indus
rial Importance, an English engineer
lentions the diamond. fused quartz
raphite, and carbon boride. The dia
lond is a very desirable material in
ne arts, because it is very hard, fairly
-rong. and completely unattackable
kept by oxygen and one or two sol
emit metals at high temperature.
uartz resists great heat and is in
very way superior to glass for trans
aren't vessels, and when 1t can De
eited by the ton, it should be possible
produce even large vessels that
ould be unaffected by sudden changes
temperature and practically indie
ructible under the seyerest conditions.
rtifcial graphite is much better than
lie natural account of its freedom
ON grit. There are three ways Of
otaining it in the electric furnace
rect conversion of carbon at a very
gh temperature, crystallizing from a
lpersaturated solution of carbon in
,me metal, and crystallizing the dis
lived carbon by displacing it with
'me element like boron or silicon
he last named of the novel products,
lrbon boride, is of Industrial interest
lly on account of its great hardness,
hich approaches that of the diamond.
The coherer of Brandy. upon which
ireless telegraphy depends, is a tube
metallic filings, whose resistance 10
1 electric current is varied by the
ansmitted waves. A new and more
nsitive and durable coherer of the
me inventor consists of a tripod Of
on or other metal with rusted feet
sting upon a polished steel plate
The greatest elevation at which
survey has been made
the summit of Mont Blanc. AT this
1int M. Jean Binot has made some
without finding any b6c-
ria, and the usual number has proven