The Baltimore County union, the Towson news., 1909-12-04
sorHNTrT1o MISCELLANY.

SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY.
The Problem of Chameleon
Fishes-The Eeps Migration to the Sea-
American Birds in Bngland-Aneethetic
Hairdressing - The Electric Shovel
Chemistry Of One-Eyed Monsters-
Ozonized Water-A Twentieth Century
Fossil.
Correspondence of The Union-News)
Late inquiries in Europe make It evident that
perfect method for making wood and textiles
uninhammable Is yet to be found, but many flre-
proofng substances have been used, the most
common being phosphates. tungstates, borates
and particularly ammoniacal salts, boric acid.
chorides Of calcium, magnesium and zinc and
silicate Of sodium. Studying the effect on tis-
sues, Lochtin. a German chemist. has found that
preference should be given to sulphate Of am
monia. phosphate Of ammonia, chlorides Of am
monia and zinc, alum. borax. boric acid and
precipitate of illuminate Of sodium known as
alumni. The first three and alumni gave the
best results. The ammoniacal salts, volatilizing
under heat. form completely incombustible
mixtures with the combustible gases. and the
same is true of chIorldes of calcium, magnesium
and zinc. but the action of alumni is purely me-
chanical. Some salts often fried-su such as phos-
pilates of lime and magnesia, tungstate of am
monia and sulphate of maRnesia-have little
effect. Others actually increase combusHbIlity,
and these include. according to Lochtin, sui
pilates, sulphites, hyposulphites, silicates and
carbonates of zinc. lime and magnesia and fer
rous sulphates. French chemists note. however.
that silicate of soda has been successfully used.
The Paris Fire Commissioners recommend steep
Ing textiles In a 10 per cent. solution Of pbos-
phate Of ammonia. and. while many processes
are in actual use, recent tendency has been to
return to ammoniacal salts for treating wood by
injection under pressure.
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Curious color changes Of various tropical fishes
from the Bermudas have been made in the New
York Aquarium. Under excitement some Of
them can pass instantly from uniformly dark
color to a banded dark and white aspect, then to
four other phases OF change. including uni-
formly creamy-white one.
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A Swedish investigation shows that most i've
year old eels collect at the mouths OF rivers en-
tering the Gottland and Botten lakes. remain
ing to years. after which they seek the Attain
tic to spawn, going via the Kattegat Skagerack
and North Sea.
One Of the most interesting Of American
colonies was established few months ago at
Guildford, in Surrey where Old England has
been solicitously guarding it. Early in the
spring seventeen specimens Of the American
robin (Merula migratoria) were imported, and,
after few weeks in an open-air aviary. most Of
them were liberated about the middle of June.
The birds at once mated and began nest building
in the trees. The colony now includes between
forty and fifty old and young robins, and these
are being closely watched, in the hope that
liberal feeding may overcome their migratory
instinct and prevent them from flying away and
becoming hopelessy scattered on the approach
of cold weather. Their CHEEKY interpreted
as "kill 'em. cure 'em, give 'em physic"-has
endeared them to the human neighbors about
their new home.
AS volatile grease-remover. quickly leaving
the hair quite dry, an effective substance was
found by hairdressers some years ago in ether,
benzine or other light hydrocarbon. Such ma
terials, however, proved exceedingly dangerous
on account of their infammability, being even
liable to ignition by electric sparks from the
hair. A volatile grease-solvent less liable to
take fire was found in carbon tetrachloride, but
this has brought new danger, as 1t has anes-
thetic effects that in cases of weak heart have
proved fatal. A recent death from this cause
leads medical authority to declare that soap
and distilled water serve quite as well as dry
wash.
The conversion of the steam shovel into the
electric shovel is somewhat unexpected evolu-
ton, but two 1l0-ton machines used in limestone
quarrying by Chicago firm have the hoisting
and the digging movement controlled by sepa-
rate motors of 200 and so horsepower respec
lively. Each motor has an automatic magnetic
switch controller, protecting against varying
load and giving great accuracy of operation. A
reel in the cab carries feed cable which can be
connected to a fixed conductor at any conven-
lent place.and the machine is moved by it's own
power. Fewer operators are necessary than for
the steam shovel. while there is important gain
in the dropping Of water and fuel.
IS
The curious discovery was made not long ago
that Cyclopean monsters-abnormal creatures
having one eye in the center of the forehead
are not always due to inherited tendencies, but
are more likely to be produced by environment,
and chemical or mechanical influences. These
monsters occur in human mammals, as well as
in other species. 1t has been found that in GER
tain animals the abnormal development is al
ways produced by definite chemical agents. and
the action Of lithium gives both the abnormal
sea urchin larva reported by Herbst and the
abnormal frog embryo described by Morgan,
The first vertebrate Cyclopean monster pro-
duced artiicially by chemical means not long
ago resulted from G. r. Stockard's use of mag
nesium chloride, so per cent of the Fundulus
eggs develop into Cyclopean fry. and these seem
strong and vigorous. and show no lessening of
visual powers. The one eye is due to arrested
development, although the brain and other
organs develop normally. The observations
have led to a novel theory, and suggest that
human and other Cyclopean monsters result
from an excess of magnesium salts in the
mothers blood.
The new ozonizing plant at st. Maur. near
Paris sterilizes the water of the Marine River
at q cost Of somewhat less than five cents
thousand feet. Ozone generators of the Siemens
type are operated by high-tension alternating
circuit, obtained by transforming the current
of 110-volt alternator. which is driven by a
4l-horse-power steam engine. No trace of
nitrous oxide or other harmful product from
the apparatus can be found in the sterilized
water The great advantage Of ozone as
purifier is that it adds to the water only oxygen.
and this aids in aeration.
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The works of lady's watch, with German
silver chain. form the unique fossil reported by
d. ]. Mahoney from st. Kilda in the Hebrides.
They were completely encased in recent sand
stone, formed of beach sand consolidated with
lime and somewhat iron-stained. and the move
ment has been recognized as of a type first
made twenty years ago.