Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1904-07-06
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The narcotic bomb of an Austrian
surgeon can be fired from any gun, and
is claimed to give off powerful mar
cotic gas enough TO render two thou
sand men unconscious for several
hours
Human senses vary greatly in acute
ness, SO that, for instance, few in
diyiduals hear the shrill cry of the
bat, which is inaudible to most ears.
1t is more than probable that the
senses Of the lower animals vary even
more, and that there are even kinds Of
perceptions unknown to us. w.
Wesche r. r. M. S., reports the dis
covery on the femora of many flies of
a curious organ that seems to repre-
sent some sense altogether unlike any
known.
A remarkable suggestion, bearing
upon the survival of organic life at
extremely low temperature, was made
in paper by Professor Travers, of
University College, of Bristol read
recently before the Royal Society in
London. He said it was quite possible
that if living organisms were cooled
only to temperature at which physical
changes, such as crystallization, take
place with measurable velocity, the
process would be fatal, whereas if
they once were cooled to the temper
allure of liquid air no such change
could take place in finite time, and
the organism would survive.
Ancient time-keeping has receiv-
ed new light from two remarkable
stones lately unearthed by the Ger
man explorers on the site Of the old
Ionic port of Miletus. These stones
are the remains of calendars, Of which
one is shown to date from 100 A. D.
The year was divided into twelve
zodiacal signs, and against each month
the motion of the remaining signs was
given, with a note predicting the
weather. On the left side were thirty
Loles, wooden peg being moved for
ward one hole each day, thus giving
the astronomical date. This new find
has made clear the meaning Of para
pegma, or peg calendar, a name by
which other stones have been rather
mysteriously known
The Indian fruit-cuckoo, which, like
all members of the cuckoo family, lays
it's eggs in the nests Of other birds,
and thus avoids the trouble of Matching
them, is said to exhibit most interest
ing strategy in dealing with crows,
which are it's enemies. Whereas the
hen, an inconspicuous speckled gray
bird, conceals herself in the foliage,
the cock, remarkable for his brilliant
black plumage and crimson eyes, places
himself on perch near a crows nest,
and makes a great noise. The crows
Immediately rush out to attack him,
and he takes to flight with them in
pursuit. The hen meanwhile slips into
the nest and deposits an egg. Some
times the crows get back before the
egg is laid, and then the intruding hen
cuckoo gets trouncing.
Prof. w. LIE Conte Stevens, acting
on the theory that the metric system
can only be made popular in this coun-
try by adopting its decimal plan
while changing the present names Of
familiar weights and measures as lit
tie as possible, suggests the following
changes: Let the yard be made equal
to the meter; let the foot be made the
fourth instead of third part Of yard,
and let it have 10 instead Of II inches;
let the pound be made equal to half
a kilogram; let the quart equal the
liter; let the ton be 1000 Kilograms;
let the pint, gallon, peck and bushel
be defined in terms of the quart. Pro
fessor Stevens points out that in tlffs
way the inch would be shortened less
than two per cent, but he admits that
even this slight change would incOn-
venience mechanical engineers and
machine manufacturers.