Amador ledger., 1910-04-15

Recent investigations make it fairly
certain that man existed in Europe in
the latter part of the Pleistocene or
Glacial epoch. Reviewing these inves-
legations Prof w. j. Sollas, of the
London Geological Society, finds that
the work of the comparative anatomists
has emphasized the connection between
man and the anthropoid apes, especially
the gorilla and the chimpanzee; and a
comparison of the blood of man and the
apes has shown a close relationship
that is not to be found in other animals.
Man probably diverged from the
primates as the ape of the plains, his
development beginning with emancipa-
ion from forest life. The erect attitude
and the greater use of the hand fol-
lowed; and as he seems to have been
very early social ANIMAL this gave a
stimulus to speech. He probably had
great bodily strength and formidable
natural weapons of defense and offense.
With the invention of weapons made by
art, natural weapons became unneces-
sary and the teeth we're gradually
adapted to almentary functions only.
The Heidelberg Jaw, the Oldest known,
has a purely human dent;tion, although
otherwise strongly resembling the Jaw
of apes. The brain has grown in size
and CompleXity with the evolution and
use of the hand, but to far greater ex-
tent with the development of speech and
the consequent exchange multiplica-
ton and coordination of ideas.
Modifying an old experiment of
Paaozo, a German physiologist has
shown remarkable amoeba-like move
ments in a drop of mercury. A bichro-
mate of potash crystal and the drop of
mercury are laid fraction of an inch
apart on the level bottom of glass dish
containing dilute nitric acid, and as
the yellow ring from the dissolving crys-
tai reaches the mercury, the latter
jumps hack, then moves to the crystal
in few seconds, and sends forth and
draws back long tentacles, with lively
twtchings curiously like those of liv-
ing animal. The strange play continues
until the crystal is dissolved.
Tree-felling by electrically heated
wires has been found impracticable in
Germany, on account of clogging and
the quick destruction of the red-hot
stretched wire.
Air navigation in GERMANY has
reached the stage where a network OF
signal lights for night guidance is being
considered, with bells or sirens for use
in fogs; and DR.. Bidlngmaier, of the
Imperial Observatory at Wilhelmshaven.
has lately pointed out that his duplex
compass will enable the aeronaut to fix
his position with some degree of ac-
curacy without dependence on signals
below. The instrument as described
by Consul 7. H. Norton, is delicate
indicator of the horizontal intensity OF
the earth's magnetism at any point. 1t
was used in the late German Antarctic
expedition, and in observing a star or
constellation gives the approximate long
titude, while directly Indicates latitude
with an accuracy of three to six miles.
The knowledge of latitude is usually
sufficient guide. The dipping needle can
be relied upon when there is no iron in
the immediate neighborhood, and real
advantage of the new apparatus over the
ordinary compass is that it is wholly
unaffected by the whrling and other
disturbing motions so common to bal
looms in the wind. An observation re-
qulreS less than two minutes. The du-
pleX compass could be used at sea, but
is made valueless by the iron on most
vessels.
In his novel theory of the canals of
Mars and their change of color, DR. Arr
henius, Swedish physicist land Nobel
prize winner, contends that various con-
ditions. including the thickness of the
planets crust, have caused the forma-
ton of parallel cracks, and that these
have gradually filed with sand. Various
salts in this sand assume different colors
according TO the degree of dampness of
the soil at different seas ms. The "melt-
ing snow" at the poles of Mars is re-
garded simply as an evaporation, and the
dampness produced temporarily darkens
the cracks. The seas are believed to be
shallow, containing much sand. The
experiments of DR. Arrhenius have not
favored the idea OF life on Mars, and he
considers the climate too cold to support