Volume 24 (1872) (424 pages)

March 23, 1872.] SCIENTIFIC PRESS. id M ECHANICAL Procress Urimizine THe Rivers or Fraxce.—London Fagineering gives an account of a grand scheme for utilizing tho French rivers, proposed to the French goverment eeveral times by ‘I’. dc Gumond, and now brought up again. It is proposed to suppress the natural protile of the largo wa ter-conrses which aro imperfect, and to snhstituto for them a series of regular planes in successive elopes, or, in other words, to change tho inclined plaues of rivers into hydranlic staircases. By means of dams, reservoirs, etc., the amount of water in tho river channels would he regulated, and therofore the irrigation of land, motive power, navigation, ete. Floeds, washing away of land, filling up of river beds, ctc., would be avoided. By ineans of dums the levol of tho ontfull of occanic rivers is to be raised, seusibly, say two fect. A table, prepared by M. de Gamond, gives the total mcun volume of daily dischargo of the rivers into the eea as 6,38,958 millions of cuhie feet. This would irrigate 45,000,000 acres, at the rato of 140,000 cuhic fect to the acre; or would furnish by its fall 12,000,000 horso power. In addition to the hencfits (mentioned abovo) to accruo from the echeme, industrial establishments could spread thomselves over the whole face of the eountry under tho most favorable circumstances, the use of steam wonld be reduced to vory narrow limits, and the exhauetion of the coal supplice would heeome a very remote question. The access to the great sca-ports would be improved for ships of heavy tonnage, and the great river harhors would he opened for navigation by transforming the sea-channels into vast lakes of fresh water, independent of thosca. The ebb and flow of the tide would be euppressed, Internal navigation would be greatly improved, and great lines of water communication could also he comploted. Fish eulture could be introdneed on a grand seale, ete. Finally the cnterprise would be exceedingly profitable to the parties undertaking it. Notwithstanding the hrilliancy of the seheme the project will hardly be carried ont just at presont. Isrprovep Ax LE-Boxes. — Engineer of Teh. 9th ealls attention to an improved axle-box, designed for railroad cars, which promises to effeet an important saving in the working expenses of railroads, and a greater immunity from dasigor from a certain elass of accidents. Lubrication at the sides is ons of the principles involved, and capillary attraetion the eondition under which the oil is applied to the journal is another. Springs are also introdueed to keep the pads iu position. One of these boxes was lately exhihited, aceording to Engineer, which had run 19,000 miles with the eoneumption of only half a pint of oil. It is also claimed that a box filled with oil in the repair shop, will not again need refilling uutil in ordinary wear it is time for it to go again into the repair shop for general overhauling. Moreover, the oil in tho box eannot be readily tampered with. They are known as the Beuther axle-hoxes, and have already beon introduced upon 26 railroade on the continent of Europe, aside from their very general introduction into uee in England. Errrctive Work or Steam [noines.— The Deutsche Ind. Zig. lately contained an artiele on indicators and Brake Dynamometers and on the method of ascertaining the amount of useful or offeetive work of eteam engines. This can generally be fouud hy three methods:—By ealculation; by means of a brake dynamometer; or by the indicator-diagram which gives the indicator horse-power from which the actual or effective brake power ean he derived. The third methodis the simplest. From a large number of experimente upon engincs of different dimousions, it would appear that no smaller ratio than 0.70 between hrake and indieator is impossihle, and that not more than 0.90 is attaineble. ARresiAn WELL At Boston,—A well was eommeneed last Mareh and work has since’ heen steadily going on ata rate of 1to 15 feet daily. It isnow down 1,000 feet and has cost $15,000. The diameter of the bore is 5inehes;tho drill ie 4 inches across; the drill and iron shafting which eonnecte it weighe now 1,200 lhs., and the rope 900 Ibe. A 16-horse-power engine isemployed, with a walking heam of 36-inch stroke makiug 30 strokes per minute.—Am. Railway Times. New Mode of Transmitting Rotary Motion at Angles. This ingenious invention is shown in the engraving. It is a spiral formed of a plane iron, or rather eteel, hand which is attached at its opposite ends to the two shafts to boconnected. The diameter will necessarially, in order to securo snfticient strength, be considorably larger than that of tho shaft; and the attachment may he made by means of a east iron cap, having on one side a socket for the shaft and ou the other a flat surface to receivo the spiral. ‘The hreadth of the iron hand or rihhon which forms the spiral is aheut an inch and a half, and its thickness a little moro than a quarter of aninch. The total diameter of the spiral ie abont one foot. Vor a joint of transmission forming a right angle, abent fifteen turus of the spiral will suflice. The entire spiral may he made of a single ribbon, or it may be made up, as it has been in some cases, of a numher of parts connected together hy tongue and groove. Experience hae proved that this mode of transmission performs perfectly, without being liable to get out of order or to give way. Ite strength is very eousiderable, hut eannot be indefinitely inercased, since a thickness exceeding that which is adopted would bring too great a eross strain on the metal. A number of these joints have been in operation without accident for eeveral years. It is the invention of Mr. Thirion, of Belgium.—Scientijic American. DiamonpD-Tootuep Saw.—A diamoudtoothed saw for etoue quarriee has heen inyented in Vermont, and after three years experimenting, is said to have been perfeeted so far as to work very satisfaetorily. The Boston Advertiser eays of one of the machines on exhibition in Boeton: The main featnree consist of a straight eaw armed with diamond points moving baek and forth through the stone, with drills working vertically to free the ends of the kerf. The diamonds employed aro of the black variety, on a half-inch width, and with a six:-horse-power engine can be ennk in the solid quarry from six to twentyfonr inches per hour, according to the hardnees of the material operated upon. The instrumeut ie very compact, and one of the power displayed can be operated by two men, whose services, together with the fuel consumed, will amount to less than ten dollars day, efieeting an estimatcd eaving of the labor of fifty men, and reducingtueeoet of solid building material ouehalf. Improvep Iron Raius.—The demand for eteel raile is so great tbat eteel-rail makers are said to be nearly all full with orders for two years to come. At this juncture an English firm has patented a new rail pile whieh is eaid to give an improved iron rail, and which is favorahly noticed by the Engineer. The usual rail pilo ie huilt upon the slah of erystalline iron whieh forms the head of the rail and must he placed in the heating furnace in the same position, viz., the elab on the hottom oer coolest part of the furnace and the fihrous iron uppermost and exposed to the most intense heat. The reeult is in many cases that the fihre of the flange is destroyed while the head is imperfectly welded, and there is produced a brittle rail with 2 laminated head. In the patent the fibrous iron is below, the erystalline above, giving superior raile. AspHatt Roapsi1n Paris.—It is stated that the authorities of Paris are about to give up theasphalt paving and return to the old-fashioned etonos, in consequence of the great expense of keeping up the former. Guyornine For Parer.—Small quantities of glyeerine are eometimes added to paper etoek to give the paper flexibility, hut especially to give eopying paper the quality of taking up color readily. ScientiFic Progress. New Meruop or Nicken Puatina.—A simple and cheap method of nickel plating, which ie open to the nse of all, has heen invented hy Prof. F. Stolba, The process is, in hrief,as follows: Into a veseel of porcelain or metal, preferahly copper, is poured a concentrated solution of chloride of zine, mado by dissolving commercial zine in commonhydrochloric acid. From once to twice the yoluine of water is added, the solution heated to boiling aud hydrochioric ucid added drop by drop until the precipitate (formed on diluting the chloride of zinc with water) is rediseolved. As much zino powder as will cover the point of a knife ie now added, wherehy the metal of the vessel becemes zine plated. Enough nickel salt (the chloride or sulphate or the douhle eulphate of nickel and petassium) is introduced to color the liquid distinctly green, after which the articles to he plated, with surfaces perfectly free from fat and rust, and with them some small cuttings of zinc, are put in and the liquid again heiled. The work is finished in about 15 minutes. If any part of the articles is uot plated, the hoiling is continued, fresh pieces of zine and, if necessary, fresh nickel salt being added. It is important, if the coating of nickel is to bo brilliant, the liquid on hoiling shall not be eloudy from basic zinc salt, or acid from free hydroehlorie acid. ‘The plated articles are woli washed with water aud cleaned with polishing ehalk. ‘The eame liquid may be ueed repeatedly for plating. The nickle salt need not he ehemically pure, hut must contain no motals precipitated hy ziuc. PHOSPHORESCENCE oF ANIMALS.—Prof. Paneeri, of Naplee, who has been studying the phosphorseenee of marine animals, finds that iu all cases examined thie is due to matter cast off hy the animals—it is a property of dead, separated matter, not of living tissue. In all cases {excopt Noctiluca) this matter is seereted by glands, possihly epecial for this purpose, but probahly the phosphorescence is a secondary property of this secretion. Further, this eecretion contains epithelial colle in a state of fatty degoneration, and it is these eclls and the fat therefrom which give rise to the phosphoreecenee. This bringe the phosphorescence of mariue animals and that of docaying bones, ete., under the same eategory. In one species, this property was made the means of studying the rate of tranemission of an irritation. Por when one extremity of a Pennatuda is irritated, a stream .of light runs along the whole length of the polyp-colony, indieating the rate at whieh irritation is transmitted. Thie rate can he acenrately measured. In these studiee the epectroscape was nsed.—Nalure. Primorpiau Fauna in Nevaps.—Au interesting discovery has heen made, carrying the primordial fanna mueh further west than ever before found, ‘The most western locality of potsdam sandstone fossile previonely deseribed is in the Big Horn Mts., at the head of Powder river, in long. 107°; hut Mr. J. E. Clayton has discovered fossils of the eame period nearthe 116th meridian, These he sent to Prof. Whitney, of the California Geological Survey, who has an article thereon in the Fehruary American Journal of Science. The foseils occurring in limeetono, helong to the eharaeteristie potsdam families of the Lingulide and the Paradozide. The specimens contain many individuals but few species. Agraulos Oevrni ie the moet abundant epeeies, with fragments of (apparently) Concoryphe and the genera Lingulepis and Obolella. Other specimene found hy Mr. Clayton on Shell Creck, is mottled huff and gray limestone, also demonstrate the existence of primordial fauna, but the fragments are very imperfcet. Masses or Metrronio Inon, the largest eaid to weigh 25 tons, were found last year in Greenland, lying loose on the shore, hut immediately resting upon basaltie rocks (probably mioeene) in which they appear to have been imbedded originally. They contain nearly 5 per cent, of uiekel, with 1 to 2 per cent. of carhon and are ehemically identical with many aerolites of known metcorie origin. Notwithstanding the place they were found, on removal they speedily fell into powder, possibly from the ahsorhence of chlorine and the formation of ferreous chloride.— Chemical News. Masropon 1n Massacuusrtrs.—The first mastodon remains ever found in Massachusette consist of a tooth, discovered last fallin Colerain, a northern border town. Fortreru ParauLeL Survey Rerorr.— The Report on Botany, hy S. Watson, aided by Pref. D. VU. aton, has appeared. It is illustrated hy a map und 4U plates and is exccllent in its matter and appearance. A general Report forms an intreduction to tho Catalogue which makes up the principal hulk of the volume. This “‘Catalogne” is not a mere list of names, hut a systematie account of the plants collected. ‘The geographical and meteorological uotes and those on the general character of the vegetatiou are well written and most interesting. AGRIcULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE GREAT Baein —A tuw pages ut the close (we use the remarks of tho American Journal of Science) ure deveted to the censidcration of the agricultural resources of the basin, the limit to which is fixed by the deticiency of water. Tho most fertile localities lie at the hase of the Sierrae; but, asa rule, there ie au apparent absence everywhere of a true soil or mould resulting from the decomposition of vegetahle matter. A moderate amount of alkaliin the soil appoars not to be detrimental to culture, The soil which preduces sage brush sceme to he alwaye cultivahle when it can be irrigated. With the present supply of water, most economically used, it is thought that only 1,000 ont of 384,000 eq. miles of Northern Nevada could be enltivated; of the southerly portion and of western Utah, much less. Eastern Utah, with more water from the Wasatch aud Uintah, Mts. ie much more favorahly situated. The abseuce of graminivorous animals, except rabbite in the valleys and a few mountain sheep aud antelopes in the higher rangee, chowe that the country is ill adapted for grazing. Hurotia lanata and a few other chenopdiaceoue plante are eaten by sheep as a enhstitute for grass. The question is raised whether the exieting plants, or eome substitute, may not be tured to profitable account, and whether some forms of orchard, vineyard or tree culture may be made to thrive here. The present plants on the whole are not lacking in expansion of foliage or eucenlence, from 55 to 80 per cent. of foliage—and evaporate daily an amonnt equal to threeeights of the weight of their available material. ‘Chis loss ie made good, not from the atmosphere, but from the soil, dry ae it is; yet water is rarely to be had under a depth of 100 to 300 feet, often not even at that depth. The porous eoil must allow of the freenpward diffusion of moisture, also of deep penctration of roots. Dramonps IN NanTHOPHYLLITE.—P. Von Jeremejew hae found minute diamouds irregularly distrihuted through the plates of the Xanthophyllite of the Schischimekian Mts., near Slatoust. The green plates of this mineral nearest the rounded masses of talcose slate and serpentine encloee very large numhere of the erystals whieh are generally colorless and transparent, eometimee with a pale brown tint; the diamonds are also found in the two rocks mentioned. RemaREAnue Fossin Brnp.—One of the treasuree eecured last year by Prof. Marsh‘s expedition was the greater part of the skeleton of a large fossil bird, at least 5 feet high, found in the Upper Cretaeeoue of western Kansas. Althongh a true bird, it differs widely from any known recent or extinet form, and affords a fine example of a eomprehensive type. The proposed name is Hesperornis regalis. Microscopic Forms in Tor ATMOSPHERE. According to a late communieation by Ehrenherg to the Academy of Sciences at Berlin, he has euccceded in determining the existenee of 548 speciee of organie forms, absolutely invisible to the naked eye, and yet held in suspension in the atmosphere. PHosPHORESCENCE oF Kacs or THE GLOWWorm.—M. Joesuet has noticed that the egge of the common glow-worm are phosphorescent after laying and remain so, at least for a considerahle time. If one of the eggs is crushed in the dark the liquid therefrom is lumiuoue until quite dry. Puants of Onrcon.—Mr. E. Hall last year made extensive eollectione of dried plants in Oregon, whieh are distributed in eets and eold at $8 per hundred. Full eets contain 500 to 600 species and may be ohtained of Mr. C. Wright, Harvard Univorsity Herbarium, Camhridge, Mase. Derr Sua Lire.—The sea has living microscopie creatures three miles below the surface. How can they live with sueh a heavy pressure of water upon them ?

March 23, 1872.] SCIENTIFIC PRESS. id M ECHANICAL Procress Urimizine THe Rivers or Fraxce.—London Fagineering gives an account of a grand scheme for utilizing tho French rivers, proposed to the French goverment eeveral times by ‘I’. dc Gumond, and now brought up again. It is proposed to suppress the natural protile of the largo wa ter-conrses which aro imperfect, and to snhstituto for them a series of regular planes in successive elopes, or, in other words, to change tho inclined plaues of rivers into hydranlic staircases. By means of dams, reservoirs, etc., the amount of water in tho river channels would he regulated, and therofore the irrigation of land, motive power, navigation, ete. Floeds, washing away of land, filling up of river beds, ctc., would be avoided. By ineans of dums the levol of tho ontfull of occanic rivers is to be raised, seusibly, say two fect. A table, prepared by M. de Gamond, gives the total mcun volume of daily dischargo of the rivers into the eea as 6,38,958 millions of cuhie feet. This would irrigate 45,000,000 acres, at the rato of 140,000 cuhic fect to the acre; or would furnish by its fall 12,000,000 horso power. In addition to the hencfits (mentioned abovo) to accruo from the echeme, industrial establishments could spread thomselves over the whole face of the eountry under tho most favorable circumstances, the use of steam wonld be reduced to vory narrow limits, and the exhauetion of the coal supplice would heeome a very remote question. The access to the great sca-ports would be improved for ships of heavy tonnage, and the great river harhors would he opened for navigation by transforming the sea-channels into vast lakes of fresh water, independent of thosca. The ebb and flow of the tide would be euppressed, Internal navigation would be greatly improved, and great lines of water communication could also he comploted. Fish eulture could be introdneed on a grand seale, ete. Finally the cnterprise would be exceedingly profitable to the parties undertaking it. Notwithstanding the hrilliancy of the seheme the project will hardly be carried ont just at presont. Isrprovep Ax LE-Boxes. — Engineer of Teh. 9th ealls attention to an improved axle-box, designed for railroad cars, which promises to effeet an important saving in the working expenses of railroads, and a greater immunity from dasigor from a certain elass of accidents. Lubrication at the sides is ons of the principles involved, and capillary attraetion the eondition under which the oil is applied to the journal is another. Springs are also introdueed to keep the pads iu position. One of these boxes was lately exhihited, aceording to Engineer, which had run 19,000 miles with the eoneumption of only half a pint of oil. It is also claimed that a box filled with oil in the repair shop, will not again need refilling uutil in ordinary wear it is time for it to go again into the repair shop for general overhauling. Moreover, the oil in tho box eannot be readily tampered with. They are known as the Beuther axle-hoxes, and have already beon introduced upon 26 railroade on the continent of Europe, aside from their very general introduction into uee in England. Errrctive Work or Steam [noines.— The Deutsche Ind. Zig. lately contained an artiele on indicators and Brake Dynamometers and on the method of ascertaining the amount of useful or offeetive work of eteam engines. This can generally be fouud hy three methods:—By ealculation; by means of a brake dynamometer; or by the indicator-diagram which gives the indicator horse-power from which the actual or effective brake power ean he derived. The third methodis the simplest. From a large number of experimente upon engincs of different dimousions, it would appear that no smaller ratio than 0.70 between hrake and indieator is impossihle, and that not more than 0.90 is attaineble. ARresiAn WELL At Boston,—A well was eommeneed last Mareh and work has since’ heen steadily going on ata rate of 1to 15 feet daily. It isnow down 1,000 feet and has cost $15,000. The diameter of the bore is 5inehes;tho drill ie 4 inches across; the drill and iron shafting which eonnecte it weighe now 1,200 lhs., and the rope 900 Ibe. A 16-horse-power engine isemployed, with a walking heam of 36-inch stroke makiug 30 strokes per minute.—Am. Railway Times. New Mode of Transmitting Rotary Motion at Angles. This ingenious invention is shown in the engraving. It is a spiral formed of a plane iron, or rather eteel, hand which is attached at its opposite ends to the two shafts to boconnected. The diameter will necessarially, in order to securo snfticient strength, be considorably larger than that of tho shaft; and the attachment may he made by means of a east iron cap, having on one side a socket for the shaft and ou the other a flat surface to receivo the spiral. ‘The hreadth of the iron hand or rihhon which forms the spiral is aheut an inch and a half, and its thickness a little moro than a quarter of aninch. The total diameter of the spiral ie abont one foot. Vor a joint of transmission forming a right angle, abent fifteen turus of the spiral will suflice. The entire spiral may he made of a single ribbon, or it may be made up, as it has been in some cases, of a numher of parts connected together hy tongue and groove. Experience hae proved that this mode of transmission performs perfectly, without being liable to get out of order or to give way. Ite strength is very eousiderable, hut eannot be indefinitely inercased, since a thickness exceeding that which is adopted would bring too great a eross strain on the metal. A number of these joints have been in operation without accident for eeveral years. It is the invention of Mr. Thirion, of Belgium.—Scientijic American. DiamonpD-Tootuep Saw.—A diamoudtoothed saw for etoue quarriee has heen inyented in Vermont, and after three years experimenting, is said to have been perfeeted so far as to work very satisfaetorily. The Boston Advertiser eays of one of the machines on exhibition in Boeton: The main featnree consist of a straight eaw armed with diamond points moving baek and forth through the stone, with drills working vertically to free the ends of the kerf. The diamonds employed aro of the black variety, on a half-inch width, and with a six:-horse-power engine can be ennk in the solid quarry from six to twentyfonr inches per hour, according to the hardnees of the material operated upon. The instrumeut ie very compact, and one of the power displayed can be operated by two men, whose services, together with the fuel consumed, will amount to less than ten dollars day, efieeting an estimatcd eaving of the labor of fifty men, and reducingtueeoet of solid building material ouehalf. Improvep Iron Raius.—The demand for eteel raile is so great tbat eteel-rail makers are said to be nearly all full with orders for two years to come. At this juncture an English firm has patented a new rail pile whieh is eaid to give an improved iron rail, and which is favorahly noticed by the Engineer. The usual rail pilo ie huilt upon the slah of erystalline iron whieh forms the head of the rail and must he placed in the heating furnace in the same position, viz., the elab on the hottom oer coolest part of the furnace and the fihrous iron uppermost and exposed to the most intense heat. The reeult is in many cases that the fihre of the flange is destroyed while the head is imperfectly welded, and there is produced a brittle rail with 2 laminated head. In the patent the fibrous iron is below, the erystalline above, giving superior raile. AspHatt Roapsi1n Paris.—It is stated that the authorities of Paris are about to give up theasphalt paving and return to the old-fashioned etonos, in consequence of the great expense of keeping up the former. Guyornine For Parer.—Small quantities of glyeerine are eometimes added to paper etoek to give the paper flexibility, hut especially to give eopying paper the quality of taking up color readily. ScientiFic Progress. New Meruop or Nicken Puatina.—A simple and cheap method of nickel plating, which ie open to the nse of all, has heen invented hy Prof. F. Stolba, The process is, in hrief,as follows: Into a veseel of porcelain or metal, preferahly copper, is poured a concentrated solution of chloride

of zine, mado by dissolving commercial zine in commonhydrochloric acid. From once to twice the yoluine of water is added, the solution heated to boiling aud hydrochioric ucid added drop by drop until the precipitate (formed on diluting the chloride of zinc with water) is rediseolved. As much zino powder as will cover the point of a knife ie now added, wherehy the metal of the vessel becemes zine plated. Enough nickel salt (the chloride or sulphate or the douhle eulphate of nickel and petassium) is introduced to color the liquid distinctly green, after which the articles to he plated, with surfaces perfectly free from fat and rust, and with them some small cuttings of zinc, are put in and the liquid again heiled. The work is finished in about 15 minutes. If any part of the articles is uot plated, the hoiling is continued, fresh pieces of zine and, if necessary, fresh nickel salt being added. It is important, if the coating of nickel is to bo brilliant, the liquid on hoiling shall not be eloudy from basic zinc salt, or acid from free hydroehlorie acid. ‘The plated articles are woli washed with water aud cleaned with polishing ehalk. ‘The eame liquid may be ueed repeatedly for plating. The nickle salt need not he ehemically pure, hut must contain no motals precipitated hy ziuc. PHOSPHORESCENCE oF ANIMALS.—Prof. Paneeri, of Naplee, who has been studying the phosphorseenee of marine animals, finds that iu all cases examined thie is due to matter cast off hy the animals—it is a property of dead, separated matter, not of living tissue. In all cases {excopt Noctiluca) this matter is seereted by glands, possihly epecial for this purpose, but probahly the phosphorescence is a secondary property of this secretion. Further, this eecretion contains epithelial colle in a state of fatty degoneration, and it is these eclls and the fat therefrom which give rise to the phosphoreecenee. This bringe the phosphorescence of mariue animals and that of docaying bones, ete., under the same eategory. In one species, this property was made the means of studying the rate of tranemission of an irritation. Por when one extremity of a Pennatuda is irritated, a stream .of light runs along the whole length of the polyp-colony, indieating the rate at whieh irritation is transmitted. Thie rate can he acenrately measured. In these studiee the epectroscape was nsed.—Nalure. Primorpiau Fauna in Nevaps.—Au interesting discovery has heen made, carrying the primordial fanna mueh further west than ever before found, ‘The most western locality of potsdam sandstone fossile previonely deseribed is in the Big Horn Mts., at the head of Powder river, in long. 107°; hut Mr. J. E. Clayton has discovered fossils of the eame period nearthe 116th meridian, These he sent to Prof. Whitney, of the California Geological Survey, who has an article thereon in the Fehruary American Journal of Science. The foseils occurring in limeetono, helong to the eharaeteristie potsdam families of the Lingulide and the Paradozide. The specimens contain many individuals but few species. Agraulos Oevrni ie the moet abundant epeeies, with fragments of (apparently) Concoryphe and the genera Lingulepis and Obolella. Other specimene found hy Mr. Clayton on Shell Creck, is mottled huff and gray limestone, also demonstrate the existence of primordial fauna, but the fragments are very imperfcet. Masses or Metrronio Inon, the largest eaid to weigh 25 tons, were found last year in Greenland, lying loose on the shore, hut immediately resting upon basaltie rocks (probably mioeene) in which they appear to have been imbedded originally. They contain nearly 5 per cent, of uiekel, with 1 to 2 per cent. of carhon and are ehemically identical with many aerolites of known metcorie origin. Notwithstanding the place they were found, on removal they speedily fell into powder, possibly from the ahsorhence of chlorine and the formation of ferreous chloride.— Chemical News. Masropon 1n Massacuusrtrs.—The first mastodon remains ever found in Massachusette consist of a tooth, discovered last fallin Colerain, a northern border town. Fortreru ParauLeL Survey Rerorr.— The Report on Botany, hy S. Watson, aided by Pref. D. VU. aton, has appeared. It is illustrated hy a map und 4U plates and is exccllent in its matter and appearance. A general Report forms an intreduction to tho Catalogue which makes up the principal hulk of the volume. This “‘Catalogne” is not a mere list of names, hut a systematie account of the plants collected. ‘The geographical and meteorological uotes and those on the general character of the vegetatiou are well written and most interesting. AGRIcULTURAL RESOURCES OF THE GREAT Baein —A tuw pages ut the close (we use the remarks of tho American Journal of Science) ure deveted to the censidcration of the agricultural resources of the basin, the limit to which is fixed by the deticiency of water. Tho most fertile localities lie at the hase of the Sierrae; but, asa rule, there ie au apparent absence everywhere of a true soil or mould resulting from the decomposition of vegetahle matter. A moderate amount of alkaliin the soil appoars not to be detrimental to culture, The soil which preduces sage brush sceme to he alwaye cultivahle when it can be irrigated. With the present supply of water, most economically used, it is thought that only 1,000 ont of 384,000 eq. miles of Northern Nevada could be enltivated; of the southerly portion and of western Utah, much less. Eastern Utah, with more water from the Wasatch aud Uintah, Mts. ie much more favorahly situated. The abseuce of graminivorous animals, except rabbite in the valleys and a few mountain sheep aud antelopes in the higher rangee, chowe that the country is ill adapted for grazing. Hurotia lanata and a few other chenopdiaceoue plante are eaten by sheep as a enhstitute for grass. The question is raised whether the exieting plants, or eome substitute, may not be tured to profitable account, and whether some forms of orchard, vineyard or tree culture may be made to thrive here. The present plants on the whole are not lacking in expansion of foliage or eucenlence, from 55 to 80 per cent. of foliage—and evaporate daily an amonnt equal to threeeights of the weight of their available material. ‘Chis loss ie made good, not from the atmosphere, but from the soil, dry ae it is; yet water is rarely to be had under a depth of 100 to 300 feet, often not even at that depth. The porous eoil must allow of the freenpward diffusion of moisture, also of deep penctration of roots. Dramonps IN NanTHOPHYLLITE.—P. Von Jeremejew hae found minute diamouds irregularly distrihuted through the plates of the Xanthophyllite of the Schischimekian Mts., near Slatoust. The green plates of this mineral nearest the rounded masses of talcose slate and serpentine encloee very large numhere of the erystals whieh are generally colorless and transparent, eometimee with a pale brown tint; the diamonds are also found in the two rocks mentioned. RemaREAnue Fossin Brnp.—One of the treasuree eecured last year by Prof. Marsh‘s expedition was the greater part of the skeleton of a large fossil bird, at least 5 feet high, found in the Upper Cretaeeoue of western Kansas. Althongh a true bird, it differs widely from any known recent or extinet form, and affords a fine example of a eomprehensive type. The proposed name is Hesperornis regalis. Microscopic Forms in Tor ATMOSPHERE. According to a late communieation by Ehrenherg to the Academy of Sciences at Berlin, he has euccceded in determining the existenee of 548 speciee of organie forms, absolutely invisible to the naked eye, and yet held in suspension in the atmosphere. PHosPHORESCENCE oF Kacs or THE GLOWWorm.—M. Joesuet has noticed that the egge of the common glow-worm are phosphorescent after laying and remain so, at least for a considerahle time. If one of the eggs is crushed in the dark the liquid therefrom is lumiuoue until quite dry. Puants of Onrcon.—Mr. E. Hall last year made extensive eollectione of dried plants in Oregon, whieh are distributed in eets and eold at $8 per hundred. Full eets contain 500 to 600 species and may be ohtained of Mr. C. Wright, Harvard Univorsity Herbarium, Camhridge, Mase. Derr Sua Lire.—The sea has living microscopie creatures three miles below the surface. How can they live with sueh a heavy pressure of water upon them ?