Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 30.djvu/155

Rh of the two races which has been going on ever since, and by which the Iberian type is at the present time being slowly obliterated.

w:Joseph Jastrow communicated to the American Association an account of some experiments with ants, from which it results that, having regard to the difference in size, these little insects walk from seven to fourteen times as rapidly as man. Other experiments indicated a sensitiveness to odors. When brushes were dipped in various substances, the ants invariably took notice of those which had been dipped in lavender, and mostly noticed those which had been dipped in cloves or mint, but were indifferent to brushes which had been dipped in distilled water. Lavender appears to be extremely disagreeable, and even deadly, to them.

to a controversy between German and Scandinavian archæologists as to priority in the classification of the pre-historic ages—stone, bronze, and iron—Professor Virchow contends that two Germans, Lish and Danneil, discovered the three ages simultaneously with the Dane Thomsen. In support of his position, he quotes a memoir by Lish, which was published in 1837, but was in large part printed in 1836, before Thomsen's work appeared, and when it was wholly unknown to him, expounding a similar theory. In 1835, Lish had actually arranged prehistoric objects in the museum in Mecklenburg, according to the three ages. Danneil's share in the discovery does not appear so pronounced.

is usually believed that bats hibernate at home, in a dormant condition in caves, hollow trees, and other places of retreat. But according to Dr.C.H.Merriman's observations, as he related them in the American Association, the evidence is complete that the hoary bat and the silver-haired bat emigrate. The hoary bat belongs to the Canadian fauna, but in fall and winter occurs at places far to the southward of its breeding-range. The silver-haired bat occurs regularly in spring and fall at a lonely rock about twenty miles off the coast of Maine. No bats breed at this place, and the nearest island is fourteen miles distant.

illustration of the power of lightning has been observed at Loiten, Norway, where a fir-tree eighty feet in height was struck, with such effect, that it was cut in two, and the upper part, which was about sixty feet in length, was thrown to a distance of several yards. The surface of the detached part is as smooth as if it had been cut with a saw, while the stump is jagged, charred, and split to the root. The ground around the tree is furrowed in all directions.

has made some observations in the Mediterranean Sea of the manner in which chalk is formed by sea-weeds. He particularly studied the Lithiotamnia of the Bay of Naples, which grow at depths of from one hundred to three hundred feet, a class of algæ remarkably poor in organic matter, but rich in mineral constituents, among which carbonate of lime is preponderant. They grow to be about as large as the hand, and then die without suffering change of form by decomposition. Living plants attach themselves to dead ones, and thus extensive deposits are formed. Beds of pure, uncrystallized chalk remain after the gradual disappearance of the organic matter, the vacancies left by which are gradually filled with calcareous substance. Beds of chalk thus formed may, under some conditions, attain great thickness.

recently reported concerning 1,656 cases which he had treated of persons bitten by rabid animals. Of 1,009 French cases, 3 had died; of 182 Russians, 11,8 of whom had been bitten by wolves, not by dogs; of 20 Roumanians, 1; of 445 from other countries, including 18 from America, none. The total number of deaths was, therefore, fifteen, or less than one in a hundred.

committee of the British Association on Antarctic research has reported that, in view of the great increase in facilities for prosecuting work of that kind consequent upon the development of steam navigation, it desires to secure a full discussion of plans for the purpose of giving more definiteness to the objects sought to be obtained, and to the best moans of obtaining them.

have been artificially spawned with great success at the South Kensington aquarium, even from fish which had been kept in captivity for three years and had never visited the sea. The different species of the Sahnonidœ living in the tank are found to pair quite readily with one another. Fish in captivity yield their ova much later than they do when in a wild state; but, of every thirty subjected to artificial existence, only one is, on the average, barren.

has been formed in Paris for the organization of a floating exhibition for the purpose of bringing the products of French industries within the view of the people of other countries. The Sarthe, a vessel of 3,900 tons, has been furnished to the enterprise by the Minister of Marine. The exhibition will fill about 1,600 cubic metres of glass cases and counters; and 400 square metres will be given to machinery. The first voyage of the exhibition will be to the coasts of Central and South America.