MISCELLANY. 



123 



of rotation. Near the magnet, attached 

 to the rotating anus, is suspended another 

 magnet, which oscillates as the attached 

 magnet presents alternately its north and 

 south pi les. This oscillation makes and 

 breaks an electric circuit, which, by a wire 

 of any required length, is connected with 

 a recording Morse machine moved by 

 clockwork. Each revolution of the 1'otat- 

 ing pith-balls is thus recorded by a punch 

 of the Morse on a strip of paper, and so a 

 register is kept of the amount of light fall- 

 ing at any place. 



A Mountain of Granite. The "Stone 

 Mountain " of De Kalb County, Georgia, is 

 described in the American Journal of Sci- 

 ence by Mr. E. Hillyer. It is a solid, bald 

 mass of granite, from 1,500 to 2,000 feet 

 in height. The northeast side is perpen- 

 dicular, unbroken, and smooth ; the north- 

 west side is inclined so as to be of easy 

 ascent ; while the .west and southwest are 

 so steep as to be barely accessible. On the 

 inclined surface the rock breaks off in lay- 

 ers, a few inches to several feet thick, 

 which structure may be due to shrinking in 

 cooling, and to atmospheric influences, to- 

 gether with solar heat. The rock is per- 

 fectly homogeneous, with no trace of strati- 

 fication a pure whitish granite. There is 

 no doubt that below the surface lamination 

 a piece could be quarried out a quarter of 

 a mile in length, if man could command 

 the means. This granite exists over a wide 

 region of country, and is much used for 

 building-purposes. 



Rattlesnakes and their Bites. In the 



course of some notes on the rattlesnake, 

 published in Forest and Stream, Dr. J. W. 

 Bailey, of Albany, asserts that this serpent 

 is the most sluggish of the snake family. 

 It never strikes unless in self-defense, ex- 

 cepting just before and after its winter 

 sleep. Of course, the rattlesnake's idea of 

 self defense is rather broad. Thus, if a 

 person step upon it by the purest accident 

 the snake will make no allowance, but 

 strikes the intruder on the spot. To strike, 

 however, it must be in close coil, with its 

 head erect. It is capable of springing only 

 a little more than half its length, unless it 

 be lying on an inclined plane; then, by 



supporting itself entirely on its tail, it can 

 spring much farther. Hogs attack the rat- 

 tlesnake with impunity, the effect of the 

 poison being probably neutralized by a thick 

 layer of adipose tissue. Dr. Bailey is able 

 to contradict, from his own experience, the 

 statement that serpents do not move about 

 at night ; he has often, when riding by moon- 

 light seen them gliding through the grass. 

 The author says that, when the venom of a 

 serpent has entered the circulation, all rem- 

 edies are unavailing. He has seen a freshly- 

 killed chicken split open and applied to the 

 wound, with good results. In such cases 

 the flesh of the chicken turns green and pu- 

 trid where it comes in contact with the vi- 

 rus. The most certain remedy, however, is 

 whiskey or brandy used in large quantities 

 say a quart immediately. Intoxication 

 is not exhibited until the poison has been 

 counteracted. Sweet-oil, taken in doses of 

 several ounces, is also effectual. Sports- 

 men camping in Texas are accustomed, af- 

 ter pitching their tent, to stretch around it 

 a hair lariat. The short hairs irritate the 

 snake's belly as he attempts to cross the 

 lariat, and he retreats. 



Canse of Monstrosities. In the course 

 of a discussion of the subject of " monstros- 

 ities," in the Detroit Academy of Medicine, 

 Prof. Armor, of the Long Island Medical 

 College, who was present, presented some 

 ingenious views, which may be briefly stated 

 as follows : Monstrosity is commonly re- 

 ferred to " arrest of development " or to 

 " abnormal development." But what is the 

 true cause ? Prof. Armor answers : 1. 

 Something deficient or abnormal in the gen- 

 erative matter from which the foetus is de- 

 veloped. This generative matter he looked 

 upon as representative ; there is not a tis- 

 sue, structure, or form, that is not repre- 

 sented in it, so that deviation from the 

 normal type may be impressed at the very 

 instant of conception. The next point was 

 the faithful transmission of acquired struct- 

 ural peculiarities, when once fully estab- 

 lished. Finally, it was suggested that the 

 discussion of this subject bears directly 

 upon the great question of evolution : the 

 strongest and fittest survive ; weak parts 

 of the organism atrophy and die they 

 cease to be seminally represented. 2. The 



