The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-07-11
Correspondence Baltimore County linton.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.

Views of Taste and Smell-Reptile Senss
Peat on Locomotives-Plant Settle
ment of New Land-Luminou6 Patcnes |
of Ocean-A Modern Malady-Cnemi-
cal Action in Cold-Airship Evolution |
When Life Begins-Glacier Variation.
Two theories of taste and smell appear to be
in favor The vibratory theory OF Sir W. Ram
say, proposed about twenty years ago. Is similar
assumes that substances of medium molecular
weight vibrate at a rate that affects the nerve
cells while the vibrations S1 SUI ton Tsnd toe
give any impression and very neavy moieculess
move too slowly. The chemical theory Is pasea
on the old observation that OdorouS Dodles are
usually oxidized readily. 1t is confirmed by tne
late discovery that the new gases krypton ana
xenon, with molecular weights near tnat OF va,
further by the curious fact that the purlhca-
ton that makes certain substances more stable
also lessons their taste ana DOOR; An EnghS ba
mainly correct, the nerves responding only 70
the agitations accompanying chemical change
instead of being directly stimulated by the or
binary vibrations of the molecules.
Reptiles and amphibians are attracted to water
from such distances that DR.. +. werner, OF VI
emma, supposes they must be endowed with q
special sense. Sight is found to be the most
acute of their ordinary senses, but alligators
and crocOdiles see q man not more tnan Ten
times their own length, fishes not more than
half their own length, and snakes only one
fourth or one-eiRhth of their own length. Most
reptiles and amphibians are totally deaf. None
are entirely without ia ste; and the snakes
tongue, rapidly vibrating the air, seems TO reel
objects without actually touching them
AFs
Peat fuel in freight locomotives in Sweden
has hauled the maximum load, the cost being
about the same as with English coal. To avoid
the expense of an extra fireman, however, the
peat is now mixed with an equal weight of coal,
and the mixture has proven so satisfactory tnat
IL n tried
=.
was DESTROYED BY the great eruption Of 1888, is
isolated from Java and Sumatra by twenty miles
of water, and has given botanists much priced
opportunity for studying the birth OF new
vegetation. The first observations were made
by DR.. Treub after about three. years: Micro
scopic algae, which had covered the surface with
a Shiny layer, were decomposing the pumice
stone, lava and ash into suitable substratum
for other plants, and about dozen species OF
ferns were already abundant, while there were
q few individuals of fifteen Towering plants
The report of other German bOtanists who visit
ed the island in 1897 has just been published.
Very strangely, no more species OF terms were
noted; but in all sixty-two species of vascular
plants were observed, including fifty towering
plants representing twenty one natural orders:
There were eight Compositae, six grasses, and
four orchids. A belt near the water was richest
in species, while beyond were dense thickets of
reeds and sugarcane, and the more thinly COW
cred interior contained chiefly ferns. 1t is al
most certain that sixty per cent. of the flower
ing plants were introduced by the sea, while 81
per cent. were probably borne by the wind. the
others having been possibly carried by birds.
s*s
Records are now being searched for notices Of
the rare white water. or phosphorescent fog, of
the Indian Ocean and other seas. This appears
as weird haze, but proves to be luminosity
without mist, and it has been encounteredsas an
ocean river q mile wide and as broad era
through which vessel sailed fifty miles with
out touching the limits One observer found
the sea to the depth of foot to be densely
packed with luminous fishes an inch long, while
at another time microscopic animals were OBJ
tanned in chains three inches long. The phe-
nomenon has been seen before violent storms
and it has been suggested that some unusual at
mospheric conditions may drive the luminous
ocean animals in shoals to the surface.
"a
To eye-strain, usually unsupported, DIR. G. NJ
Gould attributes much human misery. He finds
evidence that it was indirectly responsibly fol-
the opium habit of De Quincy, caused the NOR.
bid condition and berakdowns of Carlyle, and
gave Browning his headaches and vertigo
Printing books in white ink on black paper is 8
suggested means for lessening eye-strain.
-.
Fluorine, the most active element known, hal
been isolated by NJ. Mossan in a state of ALSO
Lutte purity, and when free from moisture it is
found to lose entirely its extraordinary power
of attacking glass. Pure huOrine, therefore
may be sealed in glass tube. In collaboration
with Prof. Dewar the tube of gas was Immersed
in liquid hydrogen. when the liquefaction anc
sOlidification of the fluorine were observed, and
the fusing point was found to be at 1889 Cent?
grade below zero. AS most substances are
known to become inert at such cold, the ques-
tion has arisen whether all chemical action
ceases near absolute zero. To test this, the
tube of fiuorine was broken in the liquid hydro
gen. and the result was q violent explosion
with much flame and SCATTERING of the appa-
ratus employed. 1t has been thus proven that
some chemical action is possible at about minus
2520 Centigrade, or only 20 degrees above the
absolute zero.
80
The airship now being built by DR.. f. A. Bar
ton is to be combination of the balloon with
the aeroplane machine. If this is successful
the purpose is to continue building similar APP
paratus, gradually increasing the size of the
speed Of 60 to SO miles an hour.
-.
An electrical test, at first proposed as means
of determining whether life is extinct, has beer
produced if the matter is lifeless. ApplyinG
this method to hens eggs, Augustus Waller has
found that signs of life begin in twenty-four tC
s1xty-two hours after the beginning of incuba
ton, and that only when development fails OIL
is arrested does the reaction continue to bt
absent.
~
Glaciers are supposed to increase and decrease
in cycles more or less regular. An inquiry by NJ
Charles RabOt shows that the same stages are
not simultaneously reached in different parts OF
the world, and that in Norway, where the cycle
is some two centuries long, the last general in
crease began in 100 and the decrease is still in
progress