The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-05-28
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Owing to the great amount Of decom-
posed vegetable matter contained in
Brazilian waters, which causes rapid
deterioration of thin steel, the hull
Of the new dispatch boat Guanabara,
built for the Brazilian Government, is
constructed entirely Of bronze. Against
this metal, says Popular Mechanics, the
corrosive action of the Brazilian waters
has no effect, and, although more cost
ly, both in material and construction,
the vessel is much lighter than if built
Of steel or wood. The propeller shaft
ing and propeller are also Of bronze.
The brownish spots which appear in
old books are really due to the ravages
of bacteria. says Popular Mechanics.
The tiny destroyer is especially fond OF
starchy material and it's propagation Is
promoted by damp. 1t has been well
Grafton and decay, but the share Of the
microbe in the operation has not hith-
erto been suspected. Tiny fungus or
mold is responsible for gray and black
marks upon old papers. In spotting
the surface the fungus helps to break
down the fabric and hasten the process
Of it's destruction.
r. Lydekker, the English naturalist,
calls attention to the observations Of
R. /. Pocock on the significance of the
spots on lion cubs as indicating the
close relationship of lions, tigers and
leOpards. On lion cubs the pattern Of
the markings is intermediate in char
acter between the stripes of the tiger
and the rosettes Of the leopard, but in
clines more toward the former. East
African lions retain more or less dis
tinct traces of these early markings
even when they reach maturity. A dis
| tinct tiger-like feature of the lion cub
is white patch over the eye, which
disappears in the adult. Puma cubs
show a pattern quite unlike that of the
lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar.
At the recent meeting Of the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement
| of Science in Chicago, attention was
called to the interesting fact that the
! work on the Panama Canal is changing
biological conditions in Panama, and
| that it's completion will enable the
| fresh-water fauna of the Atlantic and
| Pacific slopes to intermingle. UndOubt-
edly many marine animals will pass
from one ocean to the other. Thus a
permanent change Of conditions will be
brought about, which may or may not
possess much practical Importance, but
it's scientific interest is very great. In
view of these facts, the association re-
solved to urge upon Congress the neces-
sity of an immediate biological survey
of the Panama Canal zone.
The report that the Gulf Stream now
runs with greater speed than formerly,
and its influence on the time required
for the crossing of the Atlantic, fur
nishes the theme for an article by DIR.
Brennecke in the German magazine,
Umshau. Dr. Brennecke analyses the
climatic and geographical reasons for
the existence and continuance of the
| Gulf Stream, and points out how the
| change in the wind currents and the
density of the atmosphere all affect the
| life and power Of the famous current.
| This is chiefly dependent, he points out,
on the location and areas of high and
| low pressure over the sea. A series of
! RI rafIIllv made reports over a long