378 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



shape of the jaw and the position and char- 

 acter of the teeth show that the animal was 

 a small marsupial, allied to the existing 

 opossums (Didclphidce). The tooth pre- 

 served has the same general form as the 

 corresponding molar of Chironectcs varie- 

 gatus (Illiger). The angle of the jaw is im- 

 perfect, but there are indications that it was 

 inflected. The present specimen indicates 

 an animal about as large as a weasel. It is 

 of special interest, as hitherto no Jurassic 

 mammals have been found in this country. 



Threatened Outbreak of Vesuyins. 



Mount Vesuvius is giving signs of an ap- 

 proaching season of great volcanic activity. 

 A bulletin issued by Prof. Palmieri states 

 that the new mouth, which opened at the 

 bottom of the crater in 1872, and which 

 has been more or less active since December 

 18, 1875, began on May 2d last to give in- 

 dications of being still more active. The 

 fire cannot be seen from Naples, as it is at 

 the bottom of the crater, and only its re- 

 flection is visible on the smoke which rises 

 from it. This reflection is of course greater 

 when the bellows of Vulcan blow up a 

 stronger flame. The smoke, which abounds 

 in acids, mingled with rain-water, is ex- 

 tremely injurious to vegetation, particularly 

 in the direction of Ottaiano, where the vint- 

 age has been destroyed for nearly two years. 

 So long as the eruption continues to be cen- 

 tral, a long time must elapse before the lava 

 will roll down the sides of the cone, as the 

 cavity of the crater is far from being full. 

 But, should the cone be opened laterally by 

 some extraordinary eruptive force, then the 

 lava will pour out in a deluge. 



The Organ-Piano. Many are the de- 

 vices that have from time to time been con- 

 trived for the purpose of giving to the notes 

 of the piano the " sustained " character 

 possessed by those of the organ. For what- 

 ever reason, none of these contrivances have 

 hitherto met with general acceptance, and 

 "organ-pianos'' are as yet merely curiosi- 

 ties. But an instrument of this kind is now 

 on exhibition in Paris, which appears to be 

 of practical value, and for which there is al- 

 ready a good demand. There is a brief de- 

 scription of this "organ-piano" in Nature, 

 from which we take the following particu- 



lars : In this instrument the " organ " or pro- 

 longed sounds are produced by a succession 

 of extremely rapid hammer-blows. Besides 

 the usual piano-hammers, the piano-organ 

 has a series of additional hammers (one to 

 each string), mounted on watch-spring lev- 

 ers, all of which are carried by a bar of 

 brass lying across, but above and clear of, 

 the strings. To this bar is attached a rock- 

 ing lever which is set in very rapid motion 

 by means of an apparatus worked easily by 

 a pedal. The pianist works the pedal, and 

 thus sets the transverse bar with its series 

 of hammers into excessively rapid vibration. 

 By holding down any key of the instrument, 

 the string belonging to it is brought within 

 range of its corresponding hammer, and is 

 struck with corresponding rapidity, giving 

 out what sounds at a short distance like one 

 prolonged note, lasting as long as the pedal 

 is worked and the key is kept down. In 

 this way the performer can produce either 

 piano or organ notes at will. 



Snn-Worsliip among the Moquis. Traces 

 of sun-worship still exist among the inhabi- 

 tants of the Moqui villages in Arizona. 

 They have lost the substance of the antique 

 religion, but they retain a portion of the 

 ceremonial the watching for the emergence 

 of the day-god in the eastern horizon. But 

 it ].' not the sun they now watch for, but 

 Motecuhzuma (Montezuma), their Messiah, 

 so to speak. Mr. Edwin A. Barber, in the 

 American Naturalist, describes as follows 

 the impressive scene witnessed every morn- 

 ing at dawn in the Moqui villages : " As 

 the faint streak of red lights up the low 

 horizon, tall, dark figures appear on the 

 parapets of the seven Moqui towns " (a de- 

 scription of which was given in Vol. VI. 

 of the Monthly), " and remain facing the 

 dawn until the sun has appeared entirely 

 to view. Then the muffled forms drop away 

 slowly and sadly, one by one, for another 

 morn has brought disappointment to the 

 souls of many that have watched so eagerly 

 and persistently for the coming of the great 

 Montezuma. The routine of another Moqui 

 day has commenced ; all is bustle and life, 

 and the subdued hum of household occupa- 

 tion floats out drowsily on the sullen, sultry 

 air, and the sound of the hundred flour- 

 mills (meiatcs), grinding steadily on every 



