The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-12
Late Things
1 Scientific

The lesson in assOciating ideas that
PiegFe Hacket SOuplet has taught a
parSOt opens a wide vista of possibili-
tiess in animal instruction. Polly was
brought daily into the laboratory and
soon learned to name a cupboard"
ands ladder" and to say climb
when her master went up the latter.
The reward of correctness was the
opening of the cupboard to allow the
bird to help herself to hempseed there
In. One day, when Polly was brought
in, the cupboard was near the ceiling
and the ladder stood with other arti-
cles in a corner, the purpose being to
test her ability to put together the
words she knew. The experiment was
failure. The next day Polly in fu-
riOuS temper, struggled to break from
her cage, but at last espied the cup
board near the ceiling. when she in
Stantly exclaimed, "Ladder-cIimb-
cupboard This remarkable sentence
making was promptly rewarded.
A new variable star which has been
under observation at the POtsdam OBJ
servatory for more than a year. proves
50 be of extraordinary interest on ac-
count of its short period. it's cycle Of |
light changes being completed in four
hOurs-mQre than three hours less than
that of any other known star. The
magnitude varies from 8.58 to TO and
1t is supposed that the changes must
be due to the revolution of two bright
bodies at short distance around their
center of gravity.
Some of the 500 asteroids so labori-
OuSly found within the last century are
liable TO become lost. Prof. E. c. Pick
ering points out that siXty-eight Of
them have not been observed within
five years. While about twenty five
have escaped notice for ten to thirty
years, and, as their orbits are but i'm
perfectly known. there is risk that
when next seen these little planetary
companions will not be recognized.
Recent observers have found that
plumb lines. for accurate work. should
be Of copper or bronze. A steel wire in
a deep shaft was slightly DETECTED by
the earth's magnetism.
Comets shed a portion of their tails,
Prof. Lewis Swift tells us. and. as
thes have been doing this since crea-
tom the probable result is a ring of
nebulOus matter surrounding the
earth and possibly extending to Nep-
tunes orbit Reflection of sunlight
from these castoff tails of comets is
Prog. SWiftS explanation of the zodi-
aca1 light. This light. which is just
beginning to attract the serious atten-
tom of astronomers. is a faint glow
thes east before sunrise, and it takes
the form of a cone twenty-five de-
Rrees wide at the base, and often eX-
tending nearly to the zenith. While
in some countries or places 1t is seen
only in spring and autumn, in the west
In the former season and in the east
in the latter. it is visible throughout
the year from the Lowe observatory in
Southern California. Even more mys-
terious is the Gegensceim. a family
shining circle in the midnight sky. ex-
actly opposite the sun, and sometimes
joined to the zodiacal cones by broad
bands of scarcely perceptible light.
While making his guess. Prof. Swift
doubts whether the cause of these phe-
nomena will ever be proved.
OZonizing apparatus for vitalizing
the atmosphere of the sick chamber
may become Il necessary part of the
physicians outfit. Dr. ]. E. S. Barnes,
an English medical man, reports hav-
ing used the oZoniZer in a severe case
of pneumonia, complicated with pleu-
rlsy, and the result was an immediate
and important change in the air of the
room, which was followed by rapid i'm
provement of the patients condition.
OzOniZers are being used also for bet
tering the air of factories
The shape of the rudder of a vessel
seems TO be or more Importance than
has been generally supposed Expert
ments in Scotland by J. Foster King
indicate that the rectangular form has
decided advantages, as it presents a
larger surface at the load line under
all conditions, and requires a smaller
stock and working gear than curved
shapes. With sufficient area, the mar
row blade is as effective as the broad
one, while 1t can be set more rapidly
The sixty mastodons found in New
York have been along we'll marked
belts, the feeding places having been
old river banks
The Russian feat of terminating the
heart of child that had been dead
twenty hours is shown by DR.. r.
Romme to be nothing new. The heart
Is not the delicate organ generally sup
Nasal ~