Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 8.djvu/263

Rh with their soft parts preserved. These remains have been attentively studied by Barral, who shows that they belong to existing species. One of these birds was identified as a species of cormorant, which is common on the coast of Peru. Then there is a sort of gannet, which frequents all parts of the Pacific; a species of petrel; and finally the penguin. There are also fragments of the bones of mammals belonging to the eared seal. All these species extend very much farther south than the guano islands, and if deposits of guano have not been found in the colder islands of the Pacific Ocean, it is probably because the rainfalls have removed the birds' excrement, which in other localities has accumulated.

Centennial Display of Mineral Products.—It is the intention of the Department of the Interior to have at the Centennial Exhibition a collection of the mineral products of the United States. The Smithsonian Institution has been charged with the work of making this collection, and accordingly Prof. Joseph Henry has published a circular, inviting the cooperation of mine-owners, superintendents, engineers, geologists, and all others who are able to contribute to the attainment of the object in view. "Such a collection," says the circular, "formed and arranged with skill and discrimination, is important, for the purpose of presenting a general view of the extent and variety of these productions at the Exhibition, and will constitute a portion of the National Museum, where it will be permanently arranged after the Exhibition." Letters of inquiry, with regard to this collection of minerals, should be addressed to Prof. Y. P. Blake, New Haven, Conn.

Resuscitation of the Drowned.—The Massachusetts Humane Society has published the following plain directions for saving the lives of persons rescued from drowning after they have become insensible:

1. Lose no time. Carry out these directions on the spot. 2. Remove the froth and mucus from the mouth and nostrils. 3. Hold the body, for a few seconds only, with the head hanging down, so that the water may run out of the lungs and windpipe. 4. Loosen all tight articles of clothing about the neck and chest. 5. See that the tongue is pulled forward if it falls back into the throat. By taking hold of it with a handkerchief, it will not slip. 6. If the breathing has ceased, or nearly so, it must be stimulated by pressure of the chest with the hands, in imitation of the natural breathing, forcibly expelling the air from the lungs, and allowing it to reënter and expand them to the full capacity of the chest. Remember that this is the most important step of all. To do it readily, lay the person on his back, with a cushion, pillow, or some firm substance, under his shoulders; then press with the flat of the hands over the lower part of the breastbone and the upper part of the abdomen, keeping up a regular repetition and relaxation of pressure twenty or thirty times a minute. A pressure of thirty pounds may be applied with safety to a grown person. 7. Rub the limbs with the hands or with dry cloths constantly, to aid the circulation and keep the body warm. 8. As soon as the person can swallow, give a tablespoonful of spirits in hot water, or some warm coffee or tea. 9. Work deliberately. Do not give up too quickly. Success has rewarded the efforts of hours.

Trout-Culture.—In a communication to Forest and Stream, Mr. M. Goldsmith, one of the Fish Commissioners for Vermont, states the results of an experiment in trout-culture, which, if verified, cannot fail to have a great influence on the development of artificial fish-breeding. Mr. Hale, of the town of Rutland, has for some months fed the trout in his ponds with bread made of Indian-corn. He adds to the meal a little sugar or molasses of the cheapest sort, and it is stated that the trout eat the bread thus prepared with as much avidity as they do chopped liver or other animal food. The fish are in good condition, though they do not grow quite so rapidly, perhaps, as they would on a flesh diet. Their flesh is firm and has a fine flavor. This discovery, adds Mr. Goldsmith, makes trout-culture not only possible in localities where it would not otherwise be practicable, but in all cases more economical. Whether the vegetable diet can be rigidly practised, is a matter for further inquiry. Even if the result should prove that a certain quantity of animal food