Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 October 1900 — Science AND Invention [ARTICLE]

Science AND Invention

The new German dictionary of the carbon compounds names 74,147 of these substances, and the end is yet far off. Elephants have only eight teeth—two below and two above on each side. All an elephant's bafiy teeth fall out when the animal is about fourteen years old, and a new set grows. Experiments by Prof. Loeb show that chemically pure salt is fatal to fish, though present in the same proportions as in sea water. It is agreed that it is useful to animals, but the mixture of It with other salts renders it non toxic, as proved by his further experiments. “Nature” notes a remarkable fact in connection with the West Indian hurricane of September, 1808. It appears that before the hurricane one of the, tamest and commonest birds on the lsl-. and of St. Vincent was a small humming bird, but none of these birds have, been seen since September, 1898. According to Mons. Sigriste, of the French Academy of Sciences, the only thoroughly scientific shutter for instam taueous photography consists of a slit moving rapidly across the sensitive plate. But to obtain good results the space between the plate and the shutter should not exceed one-tenth of a millimetre, and the edges of the slit must be sharp and carefully beveled to exclude reflection. The blue coral is known as one of the most isolated of living animals. It has been described as the only species of Its genus and the only member of its family, “with no close living relations and no known ancestors.” Recently, however, Prof. J. W. Gregory has discovered In the British Museum what he believes to be ail ancestor of the lonely blue coral In a fossil coral of the Cretaceous period, called Polytremacis. By distilling fresh herring and oily pine wood in an Iron retort, and then condensing the products iu a Liebig condenser, William C. Day reports, iu the American Chemical Journal, that he has produced an artificial asphalt closely resembling the natural product This experiment Is regarded as confirmatory of the opinion that asphalt and petroleum are the products of a natural dis-tillation-by which the remains of early forms of animal and vegetable life have been transformed In the heated crust of the earth. Bret Ilarte’s “outcast in gray,” the coyote, is described by Prof. C. F. Holder as a species of wolf which is virtually a wild dog. Domestic dogs, he says, although they will kill the male coyote, will often refuse to injure the female. Prof. Holder defends the coyote against those who would exterminate him, on the ground that he is the only effective enemy of the Jackrabbit and the ground squirrel, which cause so much damage In California. A coyote In a camp after chickens yelps so fast that he creates the impres-’ slon that a whole pack is abroad. Naturalists have generally accepted the opinion that ants are not able to perceive any sounds that are audible to human ears. Prof. Weld, of the lowa State University, controverts this opinion. He describes in Science careful experiments made by him with four species of American ants,, from which lie deduces the conclusion that these species, at least, are able to perceive sounds, but whether they do It by means of organs of beariug, or through the sense of touch being excited by atmospheric vibrations, be is unable to say with certainty. He Inclines to the opinion that they do really hear, as some Individuals showed a perception of the direction of the sound, such as tbnt of a shrill whistle, aud others, which were not disturbed when violently shaken In their glass prisons, seemed to be "driven nearly frantic by shrill sounds.”