The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-21
Correspondence Baltimore County Union.
SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.


Eyes and VISION electrical Color-Mak.
9heep-D Destroying Parrot-Luminous
Rocks-The Auto ag . Tonic-5parks
from Btner-Pouring-T Therapeutic Blood
Making-Japan's Best.
Eyes differ, and naturalists have only very
imperfect understanding Of what the various
animals can see, but from late experiments Leon
= Cole. Harvard BIOLOGIST, finds that insects
ano reptiles meg be divided by the acuteness of
.l..S vision into four types. The first, Of which
sno 03rthworm IL a representative, Is without
eyes, sensitive skin enabling IL to distinguish
between darkness and light. second type has
visual organs. but they form no definite images
and are affected only by the intensity and d.
rection Of the light. Creatures of the third
type have eyes that distinguish between equally
lighted objects OF different size. In the fourth
type. the eyes perceive objects, and vision is
much like our own. Just what is the use of the
many small images formed by the compound
eyes Of insects is still uncertain.
sss
Electro-chemistry is in its infancy, but its
products already include mineral and artificial
organic coIors that promise to become serious
competitors Of the coal-tar dyes. The new col
oring matters are precipitated by the electric
current from suitable solutions. In this way
scheel's green, Berlin green. vermiion Japanese
red, cherry red, cadmium yellow, zinc white and
certain organic colors are now obtained on
commercial scale, and the list will doubtless be
rapidly extended.
curious mirage reported by DIR. c. G. Knott
was seen 10 South Africa by members Of cadet
corps With the town of Worcester behind
Them. they Jaw about four miles OF, apparently
on the other side Of the river. recognizable
image Of the town itself.
-.
a strange phenomenon in a land Of strange
natural history Is the recent transformation of
one Of New Zsaland's harmless fnsect-eating
birds into fierce and cruel bird of prey. Less
than forty years ago number of curiously torn
sheep were brought to the notice of some far
mers. and about the carcasses were seen several
specimens Of the kea. mountain parrot found
only Ia the South Island, where it fed on insects
and berries. Convicted on this feeble circum-
stantial evidence. the kea has been regarded as
the siaughterer Of thousands Of sheep that have
been since destroyed. To give the accused bird
fair trial and settle an important scientific
question, Prof. g. r. Mariner, of Canterbury
College, has been lately seeking more conclusive
evidence than that recorded, and has succeeded
In finding over thirty men who have witnessed
the killing. One or two Of the keas usually at
tack selected sheep with their strong beaks,
while others look on and come in for a share Of
the spoil DR.. A. r. Wallace and others have
asserted that the kidney is sought as a special
delicacy. but itappears instead that the handiest
portion Of the flesh is torn out and eaten. Prof.
Mariner favors the theory that the birds ac-
quired taste for meat while hunting maggots
on dead sheep.
Chain lightning and other luminous phenom-
ena near earthquakes have been attributed to
friction Of the rocks. Noticing that a chalk pit
near his house seemed to glow at times with.a
varying light Prof. John Milne has exposed
strips Of Photographic paper moved by clock
work near the rock IN the Isle of Wight and in
Cornwall. and development has shown curious
spots, bands and other markings, with intervals
Of many days with no record. These dark
patches cannot be initiated by electric dis
charges.
The physical efforts of several days of auto
MODELLING upon both normal and anaemic pei
sons are found by A. Mouneyrat to be those of
stay In the mountains-red blood being in
creased. with stimulation of respiration, circu-
lation and nervous system.
-.
Several ether explosions that occurred In
chemical works in 1905 have been investigated
BY DR.. M. Richter. and it is shown that the
evaporation of very volatile LIQUIDS may charge
objects In contact with electricity and give rise
70 sparks. In few instances men holding q
funnel through which ether was being poured
have received shocks and even seen sparks.
Wool agitated with light ether became positively
charged with potential as high as 1900 volts,
but the charge was much slighter with heavier
ether. Evaporation of carbon bisulphide may
give charge up to 1900 volts, making it sur
prising that this substance is not often ignited
spontaneously by sparkling. Addition of some
impufity may lessen risk In some cases, and onea
hundredth Of one per cent. Of magnesium oleate
prevents danger of the electrical sparkling of
benzine. It is recommended that in handling
these liquids all metallic vessels, retorts and
pipes have good earth connection and glass or
earthenware tunnels be used instead of metal.
-
The Vienna Serum Institute is not only in
vestigating the effect of blood serum cultures in
various diseases. but last year supplied medical
men with 1900 bottles of anti-diphtheritic SER
UNI, 1900 doses Of -scarlatinal serum and
1000 doses of anti-dysentery serum. In pre-
pairing the serum. the quantity of blood
taken from each animal is eleven pints each
time. This is repeated ten times year, and
each animal kept for the purpose therefore con-
tributes IS quarts Of blood annually.
s's
Japanese lacquer, an Oriental product that re-
mains unrivalled, is made of the gum of Rhus
vernicifera, cultivated in both China and Japan,
and grown elsewhere as an ornamental tree.
The lacquer Is remarkable for its briliance,
great endurance and toughness. and its resist
ance to acids, alcohol and boiling water.