Volume 29 (1874) (428 pages)

Aw Hlustrated Journal of M: ning, Popa: and General Ne y ‘ BY DEWEY & CO., Patont Solleltors, SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1874, l VOLUME xix WNuniber 8) Academy of Sciences. Tho regular semi-monthly meeting of the California Academy uf Sciencee was held on Monday evening last, President Davideon in the ehsir. * ‘i ; The following destribed ohjects were recoived for the Museum of the Academy: A gigantle epeciman of burrowing molluken, af the genus Zirfea, ‘prohably Zirfew ecrispata, . fonnd in the northern Pacifio waters, presented by Profeesor Herbst. mn : A small fish, position undetermined, from the north Pacifio, contained =. — in the game jar with ferme Fe) the Zrfea. > ° An eel-shaped fish, koown as ophisurus Culi+ forniensis, deecribedand figured in the proceedings of the Academy. in Septemher, 1863, hy Andrew Garrett. The , epeoimen then noticed was suid to have heen captured at Margarita hay. ' ' _Specimene of aanake, —.not common, .sometimes known ae the doahle-hesded snake, the tail being eimilar to the head in size ‘only. Itis perfectly harmless. Oollected hy Rey, S. V. + Blakeslee, in the. -Sierrag, and labeled Winena. plumbeq. There ie come, . donht aa:to the species, ;., however). as the, latter . is dleqeribed as; lead , @olor, while the epecimen ie red. A small collection of ; plants from the Island of Strick, one of the , Japanese group, collec: ted hy John O, Werner, aud presented hy W. G. Harford. 4 Piece, of camphorwood from the wreck of a Japaveio jnnk on the island of Strick, received from same sonree Specimen of kelp, a sea-weed nsed for food by the Japanese fiehermen ou the island of Strick, The plants of this order are usually of gigantic size. The nereocrystes of the uorthwest coast is said, when fally ‘grown, to ' have a stem measuring 300 feet in length, which hears at its summita hnge air vessel six or seven feet long, shaped like a great cask, and ending in a tuft of upwards of fiity forked leaves, each of which ‘is from forty to fifty feet in length. A spherical mass of hsrd eandstone, fonnd at Saucelito, hy F. P. MoLean. It was hroken under the oxpectation thst it. might contain orystals. There was fonnd in the center a hard, wedge shaped hody, around which the concretiou séemed to have heen made. ~ A monétrous chicken, with four legs and four wings, presented hy Mr. Meinocke. Two specimeus of Hstheria Californica, a yery curious entomostracous crustacean, from Alameda county, presented hy James Behrens. A day-flying moth, Ctenucha mulliforia, presented by Dr. Blake. ' Specimen of the Torregia Californica, helonging to the cone-hearing order conifer. D © of the Stite, having recently heen brought to This 1s popularly known as the California nutmeg; hut, like the so-called coffee, has no affinity, either in its etructure, scientific. posi-. tion or qualities. Presented hy Mr. Yale. Specimen of gigantic fern, Woodwardia radicans, presented by J. W. A. Wright. Specimene of Ohinese water-nut, from BR. EB.) C, Stearns, with descriptive psper, snggeeting . palaontologist and naturalist. Also a commuthe propriety of cnltivating the speciee in this/ nication from the proprietor of the property ou State, Itis a favorite article of food with tho. which the shell mounds ‘of Saucelito are situChinese and other Asiatic races, { A wild plant qnite common in varions parts! mounds to he opened iu the interest of science. . lumbia, has come to an end. public attention, on the snpposition that it ere of the coffee plant, a specimen was submitted for the determination of the Academy. »The herb was familiar to different nicmhera, all of whom donied its affinity, in auy form, with the coffee family, It was de ecribed by Mr. Bloomer, Gurator of the Museum, asthe Frangula Californica, belonging to tho order Rhanuacea, mostly trees and shrubs, with simple alternate leaves. The coffuo plant, Coffea Arabica, belongs to the order Cinchonacea, having opposite leayos; aud a well-marked and large “ih . It coutains a very considerable nnmber of important species. Many are among tho most valuable of all ’ MECHANICS’ remedial agents, acliug as tonics, fehrifuges, emetics or pnrgativos. Others, on the contra-. ry, having their secretions in a state of great condensation, prove to he formidable poisons: A few only produce eatahle fruit, and the Coffea Arabica ig celehrated over all others for the agreeahly stimulating properties of its berries. Dr, Binke read a paper on ‘* Sonorous Sand from the Island of Kausi;’’ referred to more at length in another colnmn, : : Professor Thomas Gnerin, an emineul hydraulic engineer, whu has recently come to} this Coast, read a paper ‘‘Ou the Construction of Canals depending upon tidal water for their supply. . Professor George Dayidsou, of the United States Coast Survey. read an elahorate paper “On the Transit of Venns,’’ which was acconpanied with numerous diagrams and mathematical demonstrations. The subject was treated very fnily, and a complete description of the methods hy which the transit would be ohserved, was given, ’ a f The Corresponding Secretary read communi. eations from the Academy of Sciences of. Belfast and Londou, reqnesting copies of the proceedings of the Calitornia Academy of Sciences. Also a memorial announcing the death of Dr. Ferdinand Stoliczka, of. Caleutta, an eminent i “FAIR PAVILION—1874.‘of the name heing manifest. 'the Hindoos, ‘and are sold in all the shope in ated, expressing his williugness to permit tho Water Nuts. Many of onr readors havo probably seen the Chineso uuts, which resemble very much a pair of horns. They are very peculiar in appearance, hnt sre not nucommou in this city, where wo eometimes see a: hushel in a single lot. They are the fruit or nnt‘of an uqualio plant which grows in lakes und streams and the species rapa bicornis ia cultivated'hy the Chinese and’ hag an extensive sale in [heir couutry, being highly eeteeméd.’ Soveral ot these. nuts were prosented to the Academy of Sciences at ‘its lagt meoting, and "Mr. Stearns remarked that ‘which thera are several speciés) known to hotanists as ‘Trap, helouging to the natnral order Onagraéeae. 7 ‘ S Tho specimens shown woré the fruit of the Trapt bicornis .(or' two-horned), the propriety The nut is sbmetimes called the: water chestnut. The Chinese call them Long or Links. Another species, hapa natans, grows in riddle aud eonthern Europe, middle Asia, and northern and central Africa, and the fruitor nut has four spires. Trapa Bispinosa is found in Asia and parts of Africa, and itis said also to he cultivatedin Japan. In eome of these conntries this latter species is an important staple in thé way of food to the population.” The nuts are held iu high esteem hy India. Mr. ‘Stearns thinks it ‘is quite likely that some ouo of the species might thrive woll inthis country, and it would ho well for come of onr enterprising Californians to experiment with the Chinese species, which are easily ohtainable in this city., The nnt is well known among ns from the peculiarity in shape. Some of the nut-growers in tho sonthorn. part of the Stato might try, the cultivation of these nuts at small expense, and eee what can be; made of them. Thore would hoa good market for the nuts in this city and State among the Chinese popniation. me heh aur =" : Tus miners’ strike, at Nanaimo, British CoThe Industrial Fair Building. The Ninth Indastriul Fair of the Mechanics’ Tustitute, of this city, was formially opéfed thia week. The huilding in which the exhibition is held is, spacious one, us the, accompanying engraving « shows; _ The ontside appearance, howevor, is hot very elegant; hut’as thé biildiug ie only a temporary etruoture, this was not to be expeoted. " The Tustitute has-a lease of the property for five years, with the privilege they odme from a plant (of) ty 1 r ? ie of retaining possession of it the sixth year, if desirable, : The entrauce for vieitore is on Mission etreet, the building running from Mission to. Markotou : Eighth fatreet. . A. portioo hae » been conetraoted. from «othe front of the pavilr-don jutting uut over the sidewalk, forming a covered way hy which visitore oan enter from Cars.or carriages, with. cut exposure. to the weather.: ves The contract;for ite conetruction was awardedon the 7thof May; and only ahont three months : ago. much of the lumber of which the Paviliou is oustrncted ‘was growing iu‘the forests of Oregon., Many -of the timhers were cut : tov’ order, to’ suit the » vast dimensions of the building. Some of theso timbers:mensure 80 fect ' in length, 12x12 in, aot withowt a knot or’ flaw. I vp oun (Phe Materjals.of which s the: stractors:is*+composed: arot.as follows: 1,703,600 feet of: Inmher, exclusive of.shiupl-e,*whichiwere 1,398,G00 in: nnmbher; 196,000 bricks for “foundation; 4.000,Jbs, of irony bolts; +, 306 kegs of spikes and ' nails. . , The” huilding contains 6,287,000 enbie feat; covering ahout 4% acres of ground. » The hight of 'the great exhibition building, from the floor -to the ; arohed ceiling, is ahout 90 feet. The firet floor. does not cover the whole ! area of the building, a . ’ wide space on_the east ‘ eide heing appropriated to the display of horticulture. , , : ! The exhibition rooms of the npper floor or gnlleries.extond the full length of the building; the west side being, reserved for the art gallery. A promensde 16 feet. wide extends aronnd the front portion of the gallery, hy which the eutire cireuit of the huilding can he made, Thisis kept exclusively for promenading, and offers the most favorable point for formiug a goneral conception of the size of the huilding and of the grand, display on the maiu floor helow. i See. i Visitors to the Pavilion for the first time ‘are natorally amazed: at its immense size.” The building is 545 feet ia length: hy 200 in width. To the averago mind, the simple statement that when two people separate inthe Pavilion they have as much chance of meeting again as if in tho streets of a strange town, will convey’ a hetter concoption than. the fignree.; The’ arrangement is admirable. A regiment <of troopa could easily march and counter-march on the re Ws 1 . ‘ 1 -open area of either of the galleries. 4" Mr. J. A. Lytix writes frony Cinnaher, Trinity couuty, that he is now extracting 100 pounde of qnicksilver a day, hy means of ‘retorts, and has struck oxe enough to: run a 30-ton ‘mill. _ Axour 600 flasks of quicksilver have. already heen produced from the Cerro Benito mines at Panoche, San Beuito county, notwithstanding the tronhle had with the furnaces,

Aw Hlustrated Journal of M: ning, Popa: and General Ne y ‘ BY DEWEY & CO., Patont Solleltors, SAN FRANCISCO, SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 1874, l VOLUME xix WNuniber 8) Academy of Sciences. Tho regular semi-monthly meeting of the California Academy uf Sciencee was held on Monday evening last, President Davideon in the ehsir. * ‘i ; The following destribed ohjects were recoived for the Museum of the Academy: A gigantle epeciman of burrowing molluken, af the genus Zirfea, ‘prohably Zirfew ecrispata, . fonnd in the northern Pacifio waters, presented by Profeesor Herbst. mn : A small fish, position undetermined, from the north Pacifio, contained =. — in the game jar with ferme Fe) the Zrfea. > ° An eel-shaped fish, koown as ophisurus Culi+ forniensis, deecribedand figured in the proceedings of the Academy. in Septemher, 1863, hy Andrew Garrett. The , epeoimen then noticed was suid to have heen captured at Margarita hay. ' ' _Specimene of aanake, —.not common, .sometimes known ae the doahle-hesded snake, the tail being eimilar to the head in size ‘only. Itis perfectly harmless. Oollected hy Rey, S. V. + Blakeslee, in the. -Sierrag, and labeled Winena. plumbeq. There ie come, . donht aa:to the species, ;., however). as the, latter . is dleqeribed as; lead , @olor, while the epecimen ie red. A small collection of ; plants from the Island of Strick, one of the , Japanese group, collec: ted hy John O, Werner, aud presented hy W. G. Harford. 4 Piece, of camphorwood from the wreck of a Japaveio jnnk on the island of Strick, received from same sonree Specimen of kelp, a sea-weed nsed for food by the Japanese fiehermen ou the island of Strick, The plants of this order are usually of gigantic size. The nereocrystes of the uorthwest coast is said, when fally ‘grown, to ' have a stem measuring 300 feet in length, which hears at its summita hnge air vessel six or seven feet long, shaped like a great cask, and ending in a tuft of upwards of fiity forked leaves, each of which ‘is from forty to fifty feet in length. A spherical mass of hsrd eandstone, fonnd at Saucelito, hy F. P. MoLean. It was hroken under the oxpectation thst it. might contain orystals. There was fonnd in the center a hard, wedge shaped hody, around which the concretiou séemed to have heen made. ~ A monétrous chicken, with four legs and four wings, presented hy Mr. Meinocke. Two specimeus of Hstheria Californica, a yery curious entomostracous crustacean, from Alameda county, presented hy James Behrens. A day-flying moth, Ctenucha mulliforia, presented by Dr. Blake. ' Specimen of the Torregia Californica, helonging to the cone-hearing order conifer. D © of the Stite, having recently heen brought to This 1s popularly known as the California nutmeg; hut, like the so-called coffee, has no affinity, either in its etructure, scientific. posi-. tion or qualities. Presented hy Mr. Yale. Specimen of gigantic fern, Woodwardia radicans, presented by J. W. A. Wright. Specimene of Ohinese water-nut, from BR. EB.) C, Stearns, with descriptive psper, snggeeting . palaontologist and naturalist. Also a commuthe propriety of cnltivating the speciee in this/ nication from the proprietor of the property ou State, Itis a favorite article of food with tho. which the shell mounds ‘of Saucelito are situChinese and other Asiatic races, { A wild plant qnite common in varions parts! mounds to he opened iu the interest of science. . lumbia, has come to an end. public attention, on the snpposition that it ere of the coffee plant, a specimen was submitted for the determination of the Academy. »The herb was familiar to different nicmhera, all of whom donied its affinity, in auy form, with the coffee family, It was de ecribed by Mr. Bloomer, Gurator of the Museum, asthe Frangula Californica, belonging to tho order Rhanuacea, mostly trees and shrubs, with simple alternate leaves. The coffuo plant, Coffea Arabica, belongs to the order Cinchonacea, having opposite leayos; aud a well-marked and large “ih . It coutains a very considerable nnmber of important species. Many are among tho most valuable of all ’ MECHANICS’ remedial agents, acliug as tonics, fehrifuges, emetics or pnrgativos. Others, on the contra-. ry, having their secretions in a state of great condensation, prove to he formidable poisons: A few only produce eatahle fruit, and the Coffea Arabica ig celehrated over all others for the agreeahly stimulating properties of its berries. Dr, Binke read a paper on ‘* Sonorous Sand from the Island of Kausi;’’ referred to more at length in another colnmn, : : Professor Thomas Gnerin, an emineul hydraulic engineer, whu has recently come to} this Coast, read a paper ‘‘Ou the Construction of Canals depending upon tidal water for their supply. . Professor George Dayidsou, of the United States Coast Survey. read an elahorate paper “On the Transit of Venns,’’ which was acconpanied with numerous diagrams and mathematical demonstrations. The subject was treated very fnily, and a complete description of the methods hy which the transit would be ohserved, was given, ’ a f The Corresponding Secretary read communi. eations from the Academy of Sciences of. Belfast and Londou, reqnesting copies of the proceedings of the Calitornia Academy of Sciences. Also a memorial announcing the death of Dr. Ferdinand Stoliczka, of. Caleutta, an eminent i “FAIR PAVILION—1874.‘of the name heing manifest.

'the Hindoos, ‘and are sold in all the shope in ated, expressing his williugness to permit tho Water Nuts. Many of onr readors havo probably seen the Chineso uuts, which resemble very much a pair of horns. They are very peculiar in appearance, hnt sre not nucommou in this city, where wo eometimes see a: hushel in a single lot. They are the fruit or nnt‘of an uqualio plant which grows in lakes und streams and the species rapa bicornis ia cultivated'hy the Chinese and’ hag an extensive sale in [heir couutry, being highly eeteeméd.’ Soveral ot these. nuts were prosented to the Academy of Sciences at ‘its lagt meoting, and "Mr. Stearns remarked that ‘which thera are several speciés) known to hotanists as ‘Trap, helouging to the natnral order Onagraéeae. 7 ‘ S Tho specimens shown woré the fruit of the Trapt bicornis .(or' two-horned), the propriety The nut is sbmetimes called the: water chestnut. The Chinese call them Long or Links. Another species, hapa natans, grows in riddle aud eonthern Europe, middle Asia, and northern and central Africa, and the fruitor nut has four spires. Trapa Bispinosa is found in Asia and parts of Africa, and itis said also to he cultivatedin Japan. In eome of these conntries this latter species is an important staple in thé way of food to the population.” The nuts are held iu high esteem hy India. Mr. ‘Stearns thinks it ‘is quite likely that some ouo of the species might thrive woll inthis country, and it would ho well for come of onr enterprising Californians to experiment with the Chinese species, which are easily ohtainable in this city., The nnt is well known among ns from the peculiarity in shape. Some of the nut-growers in tho sonthorn. part of the Stato might try, the cultivation of these nuts at small expense, and eee what can be; made of them. Thore would hoa good market for the nuts in this city and State among the Chinese popniation. me heh aur =" : Tus miners’ strike, at Nanaimo, British CoThe Industrial Fair Building. The Ninth Indastriul Fair of the Mechanics’ Tustitute, of this city, was formially opéfed thia week. The huilding in which the exhibition is held is, spacious one, us the, accompanying engraving « shows; _ The ontside appearance, howevor, is hot very elegant; hut’as thé biildiug ie only a temporary etruoture, this was not to be expeoted. " The Tustitute has-a lease of the property for five years, with the privilege they odme from a plant (of) ty 1 r ? ie of retaining possession of it the sixth year, if desirable, : The entrauce for vieitore is on Mission etreet, the building running from Mission to. Markotou : Eighth fatreet. . A. portioo hae » been conetraoted. from «othe front of the pavilr-don jutting uut over the sidewalk, forming a covered way hy which visitore oan enter from Cars.or carriages, with. cut exposure. to the weather.: ves The contract;for ite conetruction was awardedon the 7thof May; and only ahont three months : ago. much of the lumber of which the Paviliou is oustrncted ‘was growing iu‘the forests of Oregon., Many -of the timhers were cut : tov’ order, to’ suit the » vast dimensions of the building. Some of theso timbers:mensure 80 fect ' in length, 12x12 in, aot withowt a knot or’ flaw. I vp oun (Phe Materjals.of which s the: stractors:is*+composed: arot.as follows: 1,703,600 feet of: Inmher, exclusive of.shiupl-e,*whichiwere 1,398,G00 in: nnmbher; 196,000 bricks for “foundation; 4.000,Jbs, of irony bolts; +, 306 kegs of spikes and ' nails. . , The” huilding contains 6,287,000 enbie feat; covering ahout 4% acres of ground. » The hight of 'the great exhibition building, from the floor -to the ; arohed ceiling, is ahout 90 feet. The firet floor. does not cover the whole ! area of the building, a . ’ wide space on_the east ‘ eide heing appropriated to the display of horticulture. , , : ! The exhibition rooms of the npper floor or gnlleries.extond the full length of the building; the west side being, reserved for the art gallery. A promensde 16 feet. wide extends aronnd the front portion of the gallery, hy which the eutire cireuit of the huilding can he made, Thisis kept exclusively for promenading, and offers the most favorable point for formiug a goneral conception of the size of the huilding and of the grand, display on the maiu floor helow. i See. i Visitors to the Pavilion for the first time ‘are natorally amazed: at its immense size.” The building is 545 feet ia length: hy 200 in width. To the averago mind, the simple statement that when two people separate inthe Pavilion they have as much chance of meeting again as if in tho streets of a strange town, will convey’ a hetter concoption than. the fignree.; The’ arrangement is admirable. A regiment <of troopa could easily march and counter-march on the re Ws 1 . ‘ 1 -open area of either of the galleries. 4" Mr. J. A. Lytix writes frony Cinnaher, Trinity couuty, that he is now extracting 100 pounde of qnicksilver a day, hy means of ‘retorts, and has struck oxe enough to: run a 30-ton ‘mill. _ Axour 600 flasks of quicksilver have. already heen produced from the Cerro Benito mines at Panoche, San Beuito county, notwithstanding the tronhle had with the furnaces,