FRANKLIN'S KITE EXPERIMENT. 739 



f ormity all over the island a uniformity at an extreme of human 

 variation be it noted : for this population is entirely free from all 

 intermixture with the Alpine race so prevalent in the north. 



We have now seen how gradual is the transition from one half 

 of Italy to the other. The surprising fact in it all is that there 

 should be as much uniformity as our maps indicate. Despite all 

 the overturns, the ups and downs of three thousand years of re- 

 corded history and an unknown age precedent to it, it is wonder- 

 ful to observe how thoroughly all foreign ethnic elements have 

 been melted down into the general population. The political 

 unification of all Italy, the rapid extension of means of commu- 

 nication, and, above all, the growth of great city populations con- 

 stantly recruited from the rural districts, will speedily blot out all 

 remaining traces of local differences of origin. Not so with the 

 profound contrasts between the extremes of north and south. 

 These must ever stand as witness to differences of physical origin 

 as wide apart as A sia is from Africa. This is a question which we 

 defer to a subsequent article in our series, when we shall return 

 specifically to trace the geographical origin of these great Euro- 

 pean elemental races each by itself. 



-- 



FRANKLIN'S KITE EXPERIMENT WITH MODERN 



APPARATUS. 



By ALEXANDER McADIE. 



THE recent improvements in kites have suggested perhaps to 

 many the question, " How would Franklin perform his kite 

 experiment to-day ? " It may seem a little presumptuous to 

 speak for that unique philosopher, and attempt to outline the 

 modifications he would introduce were he to walk on earth again 

 and fly kites as of yore; for, with the exception of Jefferson, 

 perhaps his was the most far-seeing and ingenious mind of a re- 

 markable age. But the world moves; and in making kites, as 

 well as in devising electrometers and apparatus for measuring 

 the electricity of the air, great advances have been made. Frank- 

 lin would enjoy repeating his kite experiment to-day, using mod- 

 ern apparatus. What changes and lines of investigation he would 

 suggest are beyond conjecture. 



A hundred and fifty years ago a ragged colonial regiment 

 drew up before the home of its philosopher-colonel and fired an 

 ill-timed salute in his honor. A fragile electrical instrument was 

 shaken from a shelf and shattered. Franklin doubtless appre- 

 ciated the salute and regretted the accident. In the course of his 

 long life he received other salutes, as when the French Academy 



