Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-05-15
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The "leafless acacia is peculiar tree
that forms forests in Australia. The
tree has no leaves, but respires through
a little stem answering the purpose of
a leaf
The little lizard called the gecko has
been supposed to cling to the ceiling.
like the houSefy, by means Of suctorial
discs at the ends of the toes. This
proves to be incorrect and DR.. Schmidt
has found that the underside of the toe
scales have clusters of hair-like, cree
tile bodies by which the animal seems
to cling. 1t is now belie,ed that the
holding power is due to electricity.
About fifteen years ago an extraor-
binary account was given of an East
Indian ant (Oecophylla smaragdina)
that fastened the leaves Of its nest with
threads spun by its own Larvae The
much doubted report has been confirm
ed by late observations of z. Dohein
in Ceylon and Y. Goeldi in Brazil. Do
tiein slightly tore nest, when five or
six ants arranged themselves in a
straight row and slowly pulled the edges
of the leaves together, while others
cleared away the pieces. Other workers
| then appeared, each carrying a larva
| in its mandibles.. The Larvae were used
as distaffs and shuttles, and soon fine
threads bound the leaves together and
were crossed in a firm web.
| One of the most rarely Witnessed Of
natural phenomena, but one that las
| often been discussed in scientific jour
mails, and that always awakens wonder
when seen, is the so-called green flash"
| occasionally visible at the moment of
| the disappearance of the sun behind a
| clear horizon. The observers eyes must
| be fixed upon the rim of the sun as it
disappears in order to catch the phe
nomenon. An officer of the British
navy says that he has seen the green
! flash, although rarely, at the instant of
setting of a bright star Among the
| explanations offered is one based upon
| the optical principle of complementary
! colors. If one looks at the sun and then
! closes the eyes, a green disk will be per-
ceiyed. A sensitive eye might be SINH
larry affected by brilliant star.
jet of burning oxygen from blow
pipe is now successfully employed to
cut sheet iron, iron tubes and small
bars. The cut made is almost as sharp
and thin as that made by a saw. In
the earlier experiments difficulty was
encountered in clearing the cut of liquid
metal and in preventing the spread of
the melting effect beyond the borders
of the cut. In the process as now prac-
ticed two blowpipes are employed The
first has an ordinary oxhydrogen flame,
which heats the iron to redness at the
place where the cut is to be made This
is followed Immediately by the second
jet, composed of pure oxygen, which
instantly burns the metal without melt
ing. The liquidized iron is blown swift
ly from the assure, so that there is no
serious spreading of the heat to the
surrounding parts.
The transmutation of metals-so
much ridiculed few years ago-is. now
thought to be taking place in nature,
but the modern alchemist is still as
powerless as was the ancient one to
bring it about by artificial means II
it ever becomes practicable, the val
liable product Will be the energy re-
leased as electricity or in other form.
+. Soddy points out that the energy of
some hundreds of tons of coal would
have TO be put into an ounce of silver
to convert it into gold; but that a more
probable change would be from a heavy
element like lead. the operation yield
ing energy of great value. with the gold
as an unimportant by-product. A sim
liar extraction is going on at our great
power stations-water power, steam
and gas The fuel or high potential
water is converted into baser products,
and the process abstracts valuable en-
ergy that is converted into useful forms.
Ever notice that when you receive a