122 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



found the water takca from 750 fathoms 

 depth, and just above the ooze upon the 

 bottom, turbid from the presence of muUi- 

 tudes of young Globigerince. The evidence 

 is satisfactory to him that they live and 

 propagate on the sea-bottom, as well as 

 near the surface that the young rise to the 

 surface in the earlier stages of their exist- 

 ence, and become inhabitants of the upper 

 waters, and in their adult stage sink to the 

 bottom in consequence of the increasing 

 thickness of their shells. 



The cause of their sinking, therefore, is 

 not death of the creatures, but weight of 

 their shells. The thickening consists in a 

 deposit of calcareous matter upon the out- 

 side of the proper wall after the creatures' 

 full growth, which not only increases the 

 weight, but alters the contour of the shell. 



Prof. Carpenter cites the fact, noticed 

 by himself, that, in cold areas of the sea- 

 bed north of Scotland, no GlohigerincB were 

 found, while the warm areas adjoining are 

 covered with this peculiar ooze to an un- 

 known depth. Why is this, he asks, if the 

 surface only is their habitat, where the tem- 

 perature of the cold and warm areas is the 

 same ? 



Priestleyana. The recent celebrations 

 at Northumberland and Birmingham of the 

 centenary of the discovery of oxygen by 

 Dr. Priestley brought out many curious in- 

 cidents in his career, and numberless anec- 

 dotes; we select the following as character- 

 istic : 



While he was minister at Leeds, a poor 

 woman, who labored under the delusion 

 that she was possessed by a devil, apphed 

 to, him to take away the evil spirit which 

 tormented her. The doctor attentively lis- 

 tened to her statement, and endeavored to 

 convince her that she was mistaken. All 

 his efforts proving unavailing, he desired 

 her to call the next day, and, in the mean 

 time, he would consider her case. On the 

 morrow the unhappy woman was punctual 

 in her attendance. His electrical appa- 

 ratus being in readiness, with great gravity 

 he desired the woman to stand upon the 

 stool with glass legs, at the same time put- 

 ting into her hand a brass chain connected 

 with the conductor, and, having charged 

 her plentifully with electricity, he told her 



very seriously to take particular notice of 

 what he did. He then took up a discharger 

 and applied it to her arm, when the escape 

 of the electricity gave her a pretty strong 

 shock. " There," said she, " the devil's 

 gone; I saw him go otf in that blue flame, 

 and he gave me such a jerk as he went off! 

 I have at last got rid of l)im, and I am now 

 quite comfortable." 



The destruction of Dr. Priestley's house 

 and laboratory, by the riotous mob, at Bir- 

 mingham in 1791, proved most disastrous, 

 and the maddened crowd met with little op- 

 position. " There was a small attempt by a 

 few people to drive off the rabble, but they 

 were compelled to show their heels by a 

 shower of brickbats." The following amus- 

 ing doggerel poem, which was published at 

 the time, refers to this incident : 



" The famous Dr. Priestley 

 Though he preached to admiration, 

 Yet he never could persuade 

 The unruly cavalcade 

 Not to show their detestation. 



" They burned down both the meetings, 

 His manuscri[ ts and papers, 

 And they swore it in their wrath 

 That they would not leave him worth 

 A single farthing-taper. 



" His house and all the utensils, 

 Out-ofBces and stable ; 

 Nor durst the doctor stay. 

 But prudently got away, 

 And rejoiced that he was able." 



The following epitaph, having reference 

 to Dr. Priestley's peculiar religious views, 

 was composed, before his death, by Rev. 

 David Davis, one of the wits of the time. 

 Dr. Priestley is said to have laughed heart- 

 ily over it. 



" Here lie at rest 



In oaken chest 

 Together packed most nicely, 



The bones and brains, 



Flesh, blood, and veins, 

 And soul, of Dr. Priestley." 



Prof. H. C. Bolton, in American Chemist. 



Effects of Compressed Airt From Bert's 

 researches it appears that meat does not 

 oxidize and putrefy in compressed air 

 merely undergoing a change of color, con- 

 sistency, and taste. But, on the other 

 hand, muscular and nervous excitability 

 disappear very rapidly in compressed air. 



