POPULAR MISCELLANY. 



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wine, which begins to boil on being exposed 

 to the sun for not over half an hour. The 

 vapor of alcohol is then condensed in a 

 worm. The brandy thus obtained is very 

 agreeable in flavor, no matter what kind 

 of wine is used. It possesses an aroma 

 resembling that of Kirschwasser. " It suf- 

 fices," adds M. Mouchot, " to till the kettle 

 with water, and then to interpose between 

 it and the worm a receptacle containing 

 sweet-smelling leaves and flowers, in order 

 to obtain all the essences yielded by distil- 

 lation." 



The Florida Cockroach new to Ameri- 

 can Science. It is somewhat remarkable 

 that, in certain parts of Florida, living is 

 made almost impossible from the presence, 

 in amazing numbers, of a cockroach not 

 known North. The queer thing is that, 

 while this pest has been long known in 

 Florida, the fact has escaped the knowl- 

 edge of scientific men. Mrs. Treat lately 

 sent specimens to Prof. S. H. Scudder, the 

 orlhopterist, who was surprised to see 

 them, and pronounces them the Peripla- 

 neta Australasia of Fabricius. 



Meteorological. A sixth paper by Prof. 

 Loomis is published in the American Jour- 

 nal of Science for January, giving " results 

 derived from an examination of the obser- 

 vations of the United States Signal Ser- 

 vice." The object of this important series 

 of papers is to generalize results, using as 

 data the vast amount of observations made 

 in all parts of the United States. 



In this paper, Prof. Loomis considers 

 first the period of unusual heat which oc- 

 curred in June, 1873. The thermometer 

 rose to 108 at one point Fort Sully and 

 to 95 and 100 at other points, for several 

 days in succession, indicating a temperature 

 20 above the mean for the month. The 

 heated area was north of latitude 39, and 

 east of the Rocky Mountains, and advanced 

 slowly eastward to Western New York. 



It appears that the heat was over a 

 well-defined area, which was also an area of 

 depressed barometer. There was also a 

 gentle movement of air from the south 

 into that area, which accounts for some of 

 the excess of heat ; but the region where it 

 arose Colorado, Montana, and contiguous 



districts was excessively dry. No north- 

 ern winds occurred to cool the air, and 

 Prof. Loomis thinks the great excess of 

 heat may be attributed to the hot south 

 winds already referred to, aud, secondly, to 

 the accumulated effects of the sun's radia- 

 tion. 



In the second part of the paper the 

 movements, form, and distribution of rain 

 areas south of latitude 36 are considered. 

 When two or more inches of rain falls with- 

 in eight continuous hours, we have a "great 

 rainfall." It appears that such rainfalls do 

 not usually coutinue more than eight hours, 

 and only very rarely do they continue twen- 

 ty-four hours, either at one station or at 

 successive stations. 



It is shown that, on the Gulf and Atlan- 

 tic border, the great rainfalls are twice as 

 frequent on the coast as at 200 miles 

 inland from it. A cause assigned is the 

 rising of the air from the ocean as it im- 

 pinges upon the land, and the consequent 

 condensation of its vapor. This movement 

 of the air assumes a cycloidal direction, as 

 was found to be the case in a great number 

 of instances, the motion being from right 

 to left, in the direction contrary to that of 

 'the hands of a watch. " Hence, every great 

 rain-storm should be accompanied by an 

 inward and cycloidal motion of the air." 



In the distribution of fifty-two cases of 

 great rainfall by seasons, it was found that 

 forty occurred in summer and autumn to 

 twelve in winter and spring. Northward of 

 latitude 36 the difference was still greater, 

 being as five to one. It is thus shown that 

 great rainfalls are most frequent when the 

 sun's heat is greatest, and the air contains 

 most vapor. 



The hours of the day have a direct rela- 

 tion to great rainfalls. Thus, they most fre- 

 quently occur before 4.35 p. m., and sel- 

 domest at 1 1 p. m. ; only eight out of fifty- 

 two instances are reported by the night ob- 

 servations made at 11 p. m. 



The area of greatest rainfall is found to 

 be within that of the cycloidal movement 

 of air, but not at the centre of low pressure. 

 It is almost invariably eastward from it, 

 sometimes more than 250 miles. Thus, a 

 storm-area, as previously shown by Prof. 

 Loomis, usually assumes an oblong shape, 

 the long radius of which is ahead of the 



