The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-06-23
- Science
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According TO a French investigator,
amount of reasoning power, often act
upon reflex notions, and can associate
ideas from which they draw infer
ences. Dogs, and still more so cats
he says. learn to initiate the voice and
movements Of their masters or mis-
tresses. He has noticed old watchdogs
which, when they barked, had pecul-
lar intonati0n, which resembled the
voice of their master. Cats try, by
the way in which they cry, to make
their mistresses understand exactly
what they want
Gas bags of modern balloons are
made of a cotton fabric. coated with
india rubber in the most careful man
ner, in order to assure perfect III
permeability without sacrificing light
ness. For all large balloons, and espe.
cially for dirigibles, two layers of
cloth are superposed and cemented to-
gether The outer skin is covered with
india rubber on one side only, but the
inner skin is coatfi on both sides. AS
india rubber. EVEN when vulcanized,
is altered by exposure to light. the
canvas is colored yellow in order to
arrest the violet and ultraviolet rays,
which are the most active:
1t is now possible, by the Cowper-
Cowles process. to provide glass mir
rors coated with a film of gold for the
"a Af Dhf1nC -
only glazing white refectors have been
employed with lens mirror projectors,
and it is said that the gold mirrors
not only afford more agreeable light,
but one which possesses greater PEN
etrating power in fogs. Another i'm
provement is the substitution of horns
that emit harmonious sounds. instead
of the shrieks, groans and grunts of
the ordinary apparatus used for warn
ing pedestrians to look out for their
lives.
The campaign for the extension OF
our knowledge of the magnetism of
the earth is to be extended into the
arctic regions during Capt. Amund-
sens North Polar expedition, which is
to start from Norway this summer in
Nansen's former ship, the Fran. An
American observer. DR.. Harry Ed
monds, has been selected to accom-
pany the expedition for this special
purpose Amundsen's plan is TO en-.
ter the polar basin by way of Boring
strait, and then drift with the ice.
While it Is not his special object ia
attain the pole. he hopes that the
course of the drift may take him
across or close to It, The increase OF
geographical knowledge is his aim.
and he expects to be absent about four
years.
Among common animals few have
been less studied in their life history
than the mole. An English naturalist
Lionel E. Adams, says that under the
fortress" which the mole constructs
above the surface of the ground will
always be found a series of tunnels
running out beneath the adjacent field.
A curious feature, almost invariably
found, is perpendicular run pene.
trating about foot below the bottom
of the nest and then turning upward
to meet another run. A mole is never
found in his nest. although it may bs
yet warm from his body when opened,
Guided by smell and hearing, a mole
frequently locates the nest of par
fridge or pheasant above his ruiz, and,
penetrating it from below, eats the
eggs. The adult mole is practically
blind, but there are embryonic indica.
lions that the power of sight in the
race has deteriOrated.