The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1902-05-31
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MIS- CELLANY.

A Perplexing Phenomenon-Limits Of
Bird Flight-Eggs as Tonic-A Germs
Life History-The Science of Waves
A Novel Road Motor-Ruins Under the
Sea--A Remarkable Lake-Etching
With Glue.
The new wonder-exciting experiment of M.
Trillat, French physicist, is more puzzling than
the familiar glowing of spongy platinum on be-
ing plunged into jet of hydrogen. On heating
electrically a spiral of platinum placed In
glass tube, then turning Off the current, contact
with alcohol vapor passed through the tube
keeps the wire in glow, and-what has proven
difficult to explain-even maintains the tempera-
ture first given, whether it be that of dark red
or a cherry red. After several repetitions at
one temperature, moreover, the glow of the
usual color is set up without the electric cur
rent at ALL 1t is stated that the effect is not
confined to platinum, but may be produced also
with wires of silver, iron and copper.
-
Balloonists report that birds rarely reach a
height of half mile, most of them living within
quarter of a mile of the earth's surface. But
an eagle has been seen at height of $500 feet,
two crows at 1900 feet, and lark at $500 feet.
Captive birds released at great heights kept near
the balloon while over clouds, but instantly
darted downward on the appearance of an open
ing.
Hens of various breeds, at Frankfort on-the
Main, have been fed with food containing much
iron, and after several weeks some eggs were
found to have as much as one-sixth of one per
cent. of this substance. AS the albuminate of
iron formed is very digestible, such eggs seem
to offer much-wanted remedy for anaemia
80
Sufficient power for the automatic winding of
a clock has been obtained from the expansion
and contraction of a column of alcohol under
the daily variations of temperature.
-.
Between successive stages when 1t may in
feet human being with disease, the malaria
parasite passes through cycle of changes as
eight different creatures, for each of which
Prof. Ray Lancaster has proposed distinctive
name. The needle-shaped organism that passes
into man from the proboscis of the mosquito is
to be known as the "Exotospore" Each of
these enters a red blood corpuscle, growing as
"Amoebula" in a shapeless mass until it breaks
up into numerous spores; when each spore-
now called "Enhaemospore'-t another red
corpuscle, growing and breaking up, and re-
peating this through several generations. In
the fourth phase, as Crescent" the parasite
first becomes male and female, changing to a
crescent shape. In this stage it is absorbed by
the mosquito preying on the malaria victim,
and the sperm other-cell and egg-cell" be-
come spherical in the body of the insect The
next change is to the large growing ,pear-shaped
"Vermicule." Pushing through the wall of
the mosquitoes stomach this develops as a ball
in the "Spore cryst" transformation, reaching
twenty times its original diameter. The ball
becomes more and more complex. in the last or
"Spore- mother-cel" metamorphosis becoming
closely packed with a colony of cells. These
cells finally give up crop of the original needle
like forms.
Kumatology. the study of geographical waves,
is explained by Mr.. Marcus Tindal as new sci
ence of deep and absorbing interest. 1t includes
within its scope the great waves caused by
earthquakes, air-waves, cloud-waves, sea waves,
the waves of lakes and rivers, the sand-dunes of
the coast and of the desert, sea-beaches, sand
waves on the bottom of streams, the ripple
marks on the bed of the sea, the ripple ridges
of hillsides, ice-waves, and waves of drifted
snow. But such waves as those of light. sound
and nervous transmission belong in another
class.
From study of mummy statistics, Prof. Karl
Pearson has found a striking increase in the
last 1000 years in the expectation of life. Out
of 100 modern English alive at ten years of age,
so survive to be 6S, while not nine survived out
of 100 Romano Egyptians.
~.
By it's combination motor the Jenatzy omni-
bus, which has been tested in France, is claimed
to reduce by about 80 per cent. the ordinary
petrol consumption The mechanism consists
of petrol engine, whose fywheel on the crank
shaft is replaced by dynamo, the latter serv-
ing as fiywheel while sending current into a
storage battery. An important advantage is
that no greater power for the petrol motor is
needed than just sufficient to propel the vehicle
on a level aC the highest desired speed. When
additional power is required the electric motor
is exerted, and this can be used for starting the
car if a store of current is kept in the battery.
80
curious archaeological survey has been in
progress near Naples for several months. Inn
portant Roman remains beneath the sea stretch
almost without interruption from Naples to
Baia. and these are being accurately charted.
The work done indicates that the level of the
Mediterranean has risen about twenty feet since
these old piers and villas were constructed.
The survey will have great practical value as
well as scientific interest, for the submerged
foundations endanger navigation and many YES
sells strike on them.
"a
The subterranean lake of the Dragon Grotto
in Majorica, discovered in 1895, is the largest
known being about 200 yards long and IS yards
wide, with minimum depth of 80 feet AS the
water seems to be mixture of sea-water with
three times its volume of fresh water there is
probably some communication with the Medi-
terranean. The roof over the lake is studded
with stalactites, and stalagmites stand in it as
islands.
-.
The extraordinary adhesion of gelatine to
polished materials, its contraction on setting
tearing the surface of glass and polished marble
aud even rock crystal, has been utilized for pro-
ducing etched patterns on polished surfaces. A
glue containing six per cent. of potash alum
gives beautiful fern-like designs.
Principal Conventions Held in Various
P0rtiOns Of the TJnitad Stataa for