Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 16.djvu/148

 intensity is greatest, not in the yellow but in the red; and this effect is due to the action of the prism, which narrows and as it were condenses the colored spaces more and more as we pass toward the red, increasing the intensity of the light as it does that of the heat. But in the grating or diffraction spectrum the luminous intensity is found by Dr. Draper to be equal in all the visible regions, all the colors being simultaneously obliterated by an "extinguishing light," that is, a light about sixty-four times more brilliant. Dr. Draper describes his new spectrometer in the "American Journal of Science and Arts" for July.

The Wild Cattle of Great Britain.—In a work recently published in England is given an account of the origin, history, and present condition of the wild "white cattle" of Great Britain. The supposed primogenitors of these wild cattle were abundant in the Pleistocene age, both in the British Isles and on the neighboring continent, and in later prehistoric times they still existed, as their fossil remains testify. Advancing to historic times, the author. Rev. John Storer, quotes from Herodotus a passage in which mention is made of "large, ferocious, and fleet white bulls" abounding in the country south of Thrace. Poland, Lithuania, and Muscovy were their last strongholds on the Continent of Europe, and they became extinct there in the fifteenth or sixteenth century. But they have still living representatives in England, the Chillingham herd being the most noted. This herd is kept in the, park attached to Chillingham Castle in Northumberland, the residence of Lord Tankerville. The earliest historian on this herd, Mr. Storer says, is Thomas Cully, whose book on "Live Stock," published; in 1786, is pretty well known. The date of the inclosing of the park of course would probably indicate the period when the wild cattle were first confined, but there seems to be no clear evidence on this point. As long ago as the year 1692, however, there is direct proof in Mackenzie's "View of the County of Northumberland," published in 1825, that the herd then existed, for among other curious notes given therein are those of William Taylor, the steward of Chillingham: "May, 1692—Beasts in the parke. My lorde's, 16 white wilde beasts," etc. Since that period they have flourished in fluctuating numbers, never increasing very rapidly, but retaining all their wild characteristics. The herd is now generally kept up to about threescore.

Regarding the herd of wild cattle inclosed in Chartley Castle Park, Staffordshire, the property of Earl Ferrers'a family, accounts alluding to them show of their existence as far back as 1658. They are more massive in character than their congeners of Chillingham, and are not so wild. From what we gather from this most interesting work, the characteristics of the two herds are such as might lead one to infer the descent of the domestic breed of shorthorns from the Chillingham herd, and the old and almost extinct "long-horn" breed from the Chartley stock. It is a remarkable fact in connection with both these herds that the animals individually are built on perfect lines, and their general contour is such that many of our great fat-stock breeders would be glad of such correctly formed frames to work upon.

Of the existing Scotch herds of wild cattle, the only one now found retaining to any great degree its pristine condition is the Hamilton herd in Cadgow Park, Lanarkshire. In 1874 this herd numbered some forty animals.

Other herds have existed, and some half-wild herds still are preserved in a few instances in the British Isles; of all of these Mr. Storer has given most entertaining information.

Circulating Libraries and Contagious Disease.—The question having been raised, at a meeting of the directors of the Chicago Public Library, whether books in circulating libraries may become a means of spreading contagious diseases, a committee was apt pointed to investigate the subject. Letters of inquiry were addressed by this committee to medical and sanitary experts, also to librarians in different parts of the country, and the replies (nineteen in number) are set forth by a member of the committee in a communication to the "Library Journal." None of the writers of the replies could give any fact falling under his own observation tending to show that a contagious disease