FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



573 



A feature of considerable interest is tlie 

 ancient temple of Zoroaster, which for 

 twenty-five hundred years was the sacred 

 resort for pilgrimage of the Guebers or fire- 

 worshipers of Asia. Although, owing to its 

 importance as a commercial center, Baku at 

 present almost monopolizes the petroleum 

 industry in southern Russia, it is but one of 

 many important oil fields in this district. 



Life in the Coldest Conntry. The cold- 

 est region of the globe, that of Werkojank 

 in Siberia, where the lowest temperature of 

 90 F. has been obseryed, and the mean 

 of January is 48 F., is inhabited by about 

 ten thousand five hundred persons of the 

 Jakut and Lamut races. In a large part of 

 the region, according to the representations 

 of Mr. Sergius Koyalik in the Bulletin of the 

 Geographical Society of Irkutsk, the air is so 

 dry and winds are so rare that the intensity 

 of the cold is not fully realized. Farther 

 east there are sometimes terrible storms. 



In the summer time the temperature some- 

 times rises to 86 F. in the shade, while it 

 freezes at night. The latter part of this 

 season is often marked by copious rains and 

 extensive inundations. Vegetation is scanty. 

 There are no trees, only meadows. The peo- 

 ple hunt fur-bearing animals, fish, and raise 

 cattle and reindeers. It requires about eight 

 cows to support a family, four being milked 

 in the summer and two in the winter. The 

 cattle are fed hay in the winter, and are al- 

 lowed to go out occasionally when it is not 

 too cold, their teats being carefully covered 

 up with felt. Milk is the principal food, oc- 

 casionally supplemented with hares, which 

 are quite abundant. The houses are of wood, 

 covered with clay, and consist of one room, 

 in which the people and their animals live 

 together. The wealthier classes are better 

 provided with lodging and food. The peo- 

 ple are very hospitable, but excessively punc- 

 tilious concerning points of honor, such as 

 the place at table. 



MINOR PARAGRAPHS. 



The great work described by M. P. De- 

 moutzey in reforestation and the stemming 

 of mountain torrents in France has been fit- 

 tingly eulogized by M. Deherain. Not more 

 than a quarter of the work contemplated has 

 been accomplished ; but that which has been 

 done proves what may be done, and that the 

 solution of the difficult problem has sub- 

 stantially been reached. The needed work is 

 not long or very expensive ; it is only to 

 assist Nature by easy and simple devices, 

 and keep at it. When this is done, thirty 

 or forty years will be long enough to pro- 

 duce great changes in the conditions and ap- 

 pearance of a devastated and torrent-rent 

 region. M. Demoutzey's book is illustrated 

 with plates and photographic views showing 

 the character of the work accomplished. 



Originally the area of natural gas in 

 Indiana, according to the last report of W. 

 S. Blatchley, State Geologist, embraced part 

 or all of seventeen counties lying northeast of 

 the center of the State, and comprised about 

 five thousand square miles. On account of 

 the encroachment of salt water and petroleum 

 this area has become gradually reduced, until 

 to- day the main gas field includes an ap- 



proximate area of twenty-five hundred square 

 miles. This, however, it is claimed, is larger 

 than has ever been possessed by any other 

 State in the Union. The average initial or rock 

 pressure of the entire field in 1889 was three 

 hundred and twenty-five pounds to the square 

 inch. To-day, according to careful measure- 

 ments, it is two hundred and thirty pounds 

 to the square inch over the main field. Hence 

 it is not doubted that the supply is dimin- 

 ishing, and that, as there can be no increase 

 of it, the pressure will decrease more rapidly 

 in the future than it has done in the past. 

 The diminution in pressure is most notice- 

 able in cities like Indianapolis and Richmond, 

 which receive their supply through pipe lines, 

 and less so in the cities that lie wholly with- 

 in the field. 



The library of the distinguished chemist 

 August von Kekule, of the University of 

 Bonn, lately deceased, is in the hands of 

 Gustav Fock, Magazingasse 4, Leipzig, for 

 sale. Seldom has a collection of such value 

 been put on the market. It was made with 

 rare zeal and most intelligent judgment ex- 

 ercised through many years, and is so com- 

 plete that hardly any work of scientific 



