51 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Arctic Expedition, were of opinion that the 

 risks were not so great as on the west coast 

 of Africa, and hence no extra premium was 

 exacted. 



The extension of railways in India is 

 gradually undermining the institution of 

 caste. In a lecture on this subject, Mr. 

 Framjee R. Vicajce, a native of Bombay, 

 said that in England the only caste which 

 the railway class-system protects from con- 

 tamination is that which is based on wealth ; 

 but in India, which is a poor country, real- 

 ly high-caste people travel third class to 

 save their money, while in England they 

 travel first-class to save or assert their 

 caste. 



The mean height of Europe is estimated 

 bv Dr. G. Leitpoldt at 974 feet. Switzer- 

 land shows the maximum msan height, 

 4,624 feet, and the Netherlands the minimum, 

 31 feet. Intermediate are Spain and Port- 

 ugal, 2,298 feet ; Austria, 1,698 ; Italy, 

 1,696; France, 1,292; British Islands, 714; 

 Germany, 701 ; Russia, 548 ; Denmark, 115. 



According to Dr. Otto Krause, tobacco- 

 smoke always contains a considerable quan- 

 tity of carbonic oxide, and the after-effects 

 of smoking are principally caused by this 

 poisonous gas. Dr. Krause holds that the 

 after-effects are all the more energetic, the 

 more inexperienced the smoker is, and he 

 thus explains the unpleasant results of the 

 first attempts at smoking, which are gen- 

 erally ascribed to nicotine alone. 



The practice of vaccination is making 

 fair progress in India. One obstacle is the 

 religious scruples of the people, but the 

 medical oflficers state that these may now be 

 overcome by the payment of one auna (three 

 cents) per child. 



The water of a much-esteemed mineral 

 spring in England was, on chemical anal- 

 ysis, found to contain in very large proppr- 

 tion every known form of impurity, viz., 

 oxidizable organic matter, ammonia, chlo- 

 rides, nitrates, nitrites, living organisms, and 

 decaying vegetable matter. 



Two instances are mentioned in the 

 Lancet of undoubted transmission of disease 

 from human beings to domestic animals. 

 In one case whooping-cough was communi- 

 cated to a cat from children. In the other 

 case dogs took small-pox from persons suf- 

 fering from that disease. 



It is announced by the Norwegian 

 papers that the Government have voted 

 about $25,000 toward a scheme for the pros- 

 ecution of deep-sea investigations between 

 Iceland, Spitzbergen, the Faroe Islands, and 

 Jan Mayen Island. Operations will be con- 

 ducted on the model of the Challenger's 

 researches. 



The following instance of canine saga- 

 city and fidelity is reported in Land and 

 Water : A man named Colville left his home 

 near Dunfermline, accompanied by his dog. 

 He did not return that day, but the next 

 afternoon the dog came home, and behaved 

 in a very eccentric manner, apparently en- 

 deavoring to attract attention. Seeing that 

 the animal continually rushed off in the 

 same direction, and that he evidently wanted 

 some one to go with him, Colville's friends 

 resolved to follow him. The dog led them 

 to a disused coal-shaft, and there stopped. 

 Grappling irons were procured, and the 

 dead body of Colville was soon brought to 

 the surface. 



In the Annals and Magazine of Natural 

 History for January, 1875, Captain F. W. 

 Button gives a technical description of two 

 new species of Crustacea recently discovered 

 in New Zealand. 



Three years ago an American tourist, 

 John Blackford, lost his life in an attempt 

 to ascend Mont Blanc without a guide. His 

 body was recently found in a large ice-block 

 after several days of thaw. Features and 

 clothes were in a perfect state of preser- 

 vation. 



The Fish Commissioners of Pennsylvania 

 and New Jersey, says Forest and Stream, 

 are preparing to engage more actively than 

 ever in shad-culture on the Delaware. 

 Hatching-boxes have been located at three 

 different stations, viz.. Point Pleasant, Tren- 

 ton, and Howell's Fishery. 



Says the Lancet: "Another case of in- 

 flammation of the feet, caused by the wear- 

 ing of socks with orange-red stripes, has 

 occurred. The victim this time is Mr. Hai-t 

 Dyke, the Conservative Whip. We presume 

 the offending dye is coralline, which gained 

 such notoriety a year or so ago. It is im- 

 possible to avoid asking whether the sale of 

 such dangerous articles cannot be stopped. 

 The color is attractive, and just now is 

 fashionable; any one, however, who has re- 

 spect for his ' poor feet ' would certainly be 

 wise to avoid it." 



A BILL for regulating the practice of 

 vivisection has been introduced into the 

 British Parliament, It proposes to enact 

 that after January, 1876, vivisection is only 

 to be performed in places duly registered, 

 and upon notice being given to the Secre- 

 tary of State. Anaesthetics are always to 

 be employed, except when a special license 

 has been granted by the Secretary. _ The 

 penalty for an offense against the act is not 

 to exceed 20. 



The library of the late J. J. Audubon, 

 containing 800 volumes, was destroyed by 

 fire at Shelbyville, Kentucky, on April 29th. 



