Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-02-23
Science and Invention

The singular case of divided pupil
in a young mans left eye-the result of
unknown injury in childhood-has been
recorded by an Italian oculist. The or
binary pupil is elliptic, being about a
twelfth of an inch broad and a fourth
as high, and the second pupil, having
about the same size and shape, is usu-
ally hidden by the upper eyelid, being
at the upper portion of the iris. Both
pupils are immovable in the strongest
light. With both eyes or the upper
left pupil alone vision is about normal,
but with the lower left pupil alone OBJ
jects appear confused.
Newton's telescope, which Sir David
Gill proudly exhibited to his juvenile
audience at the Royal institute. is a
clumsy looking instrument, nine inches
in length, two inches In aperture and
capable of magnifying thirty-eight
times. 1t was entirely made by New
ton himself who first exhibited 1t be-
fore the Royal society in 1871; and
more than 100 years later his successor
in the presidency of the society laid
before George III Sir William Her.
schels scheme for making a telescope
on Newton's plan, to be forty feet in
length and four feet in aperture.
The terrible tarantula is said to be
more abused than abusive. 1t is not
aggressive upon man nor is it often
intrusive even, although every old
miner and prospector has shaken one
out of his boots or blankets in the
morning, and always the size of a
saucer. 1t avoids the hot sunshine
and remains we'll down in it's burrow
under the ground. About shutdown it
sallies forth and lies in waiting just
below the opening of the burrow. 1t
assumes this position whether 1t de-
siras food or wishes only to get bit
of fresh air. 1t does not travel about
in quest of food even when hungry,
but remains quietly in the attitude de-
scrlbed often for hours at a time. At
the near approach of a caterpillar
grasshopper, beetle or almost any
creature of like size, other than it's
enemy, the wasp, it rushes out and
selzes it, but rarely goes farther than
a few inches from the opening. One
fair sized insect a week Is sufficient
to satisfy it's hunger because of it's
inactive existence, while it can live
several months without food even when
most active, provided it has water. In
autumn the spider closes the entrance
with a crudely spun web. 1t is then
ready to pass the winter in a semi
lethargic state, partaking of no food.
In the spring it digs it's way out. Dur
ing the entire growth of the tarantula-
which requires about twenty years 1t
sheds it's entire skin about once year
in midsummer The event Is an i'm
portant one to the spider and as it is
then quite helpless the entrance is pre-,
yiously closed by sheet of silk. In
June 200 or 800 eggs are produced.
Nature will favor two out of as many
hundreds and protect them until they
die of old age at about the end OF
twenty-five or thirty years.
Fireless frying and roasting is the
way in Germany. Fireless stoves or
self-cookers have been In use in Ger
many for a number of years. The
earlier types were boxes constructed
with double walls by secret processes.
built so as to retain heat when sealed.
After a thorough heating food to be
cooked is placed inside the box, sealed,
and left for a sufficient time, when 1t