The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1910-06-10
.k>lm.> Science
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y sss9sss'eEIlyentiOn| s

The boiling-points Of metals have
not hitherto been very accurately as
certained. Recently H. G. Greenwood
had undertaken a new investigation Of
this subject, and he gives the follow
ing results for certain well known
metals: Aluminium, 1900 degrees c.;
copper, 2,31O degrees c.; iron, 2,45o
degrees c.; lead, 1875 degrees c.; sill
yer, 1855 degrees c.; tin, 2,27O de-
grees.
Lord Dudley, the Governor-General
Of Australia, has headed movement
for persuading the federal government
to establish in Australia solar OBJ
servatory to act In concert with those
now in operation In England, India
and America. 1t Is pointed out that
there is a great break in the chain OF
these observatories, extending between
California and India, and covering a
distance Of 150 degrees of longitude.
The proposed observatory In Australia
would serve to fill this gap. Moreover,
1t would possess special value from
being located in the southern hemi-
sphere. With its aid continuous Sc
ries of observations Of the sun, ex-
tending throughout the "a hours, could
be made.
Among the most interesting Of Amer
lean birds is the great vulture called
the California condor, which rivals the
famous condor of the Andes In size,
averaging Az feet in length and 10
feet in spread of wings. 1t nests In
wild and inaccessible places in the
mountains. Its eggs measure AZ by
21b inches, and are very rare In col
lections. Prof. Vernon l.. Kellogg calls
attention to the fact that this bird car
ries two mallophagan parasites which
are common to 1t and to the two other
great yultures OF the American cor
dillera. the Andean condor and the
king-vulture, whose combined range
extends several thousand miles north
and south. But the parasites are wing
less, whereas the vultures represent
three separate genera, Of which the
individuals are particularly non-grega-
rious. How, then, have they come into
the possession Of identical parasites?
Professor Kellogg believes that the ex-
planation must be that the parasites
infested an extinct common ancestor OF
the three related types of birds, and
have persisted, practically unchanged,
on Its now divergent descendants.
Invention during the next two or
three centuries, says Prof. John G..
McKindrick, will probably be In the
direction Of initiating the wonderful
economy, and the simple, direct meth
ods OF nature. Take the electric eel.
It's electric organ is in no sense a
storage-battery, but contrivance by
which electric energy is liberated at
the moment when it Is required. AT
rest, the organ shows so small an cleo
tromotive force that a good galvano-
meter Is required to detect 1t, but a
sudden nervous impulse from the cells
spinal cord raises potential of many
volts, with very little heat. and so
small an expenditure OF matter as to
defy the most expert chemist to weigh
1t. Firefiies. glowworms and many
deep-sea fishes produce light without
heat, "at cost which would make the
price Of wax vesta an extravagant out
lay" The organic chemist requires all
the resources OF his laboratory. with
high temperatures and potent agencies.
to produce alkaloidal substances which
plants make at a low temperature and
by slow processes.
Even the honest pretzel Is crooked.