MISCELLANY. 



125 



snow actually falling and that raised from 

 the ground by the storm. It was remark- 

 able, however, that during tlie first winter 

 the quantity of snow was small compared 

 with that of the second winter, when the 

 snow almost completely buried the ship. 

 The same proportion was repeated in the 

 quantity of rain during the first and second 

 summer ; in the first only a little rain fell and 

 that late in the year, while in July, 1874, it 

 rained in torrents for days. 



Life in Elevated Areas. The general 

 belief in the invigorating effect of mountain- 

 air is not absolutely justified by facts: at 

 least there are some elevated regions the 

 inhabitahts of which show none of the vigor 

 and elan which we should expect to fiqd, 

 were the common opinion correct. Dr. Jour- 

 danet, of Paris, writes of the inhabitants of 

 the table-land of Anahuac, Mexico, that they 

 appear quite languid, with pale complexion, 

 ill-developed muscles, and feeble circulation. 

 The mortality of infants is 30 per cent, in 

 the first year after birth. Dr. Jourdanet is 

 satisfied that, while the proportion of red 

 corpuscles in the blood is normal, there is a 

 diminution of oxygen, the result of insuffi- 

 cient condensation of that gas under the 

 slight pressure of the air. For this condi- 

 tion of the blood he proposes the name of 

 arwzi/hcemia. In Mexico, at the height of 

 about 2,300 metres (7,500 feet) above the 

 sea, the debilitating effects of the rarefied 

 air are manifest. This is noticeable in brutes 

 as well as in men. Again, the annual grovvth 

 of population is scarcely ever more than three 

 per 1,000 on the uplands, while nearer the 

 sea-level it is six or seven. Dr. Jourdanet 

 asserts his belief that, in countries where 

 cold is not of itself an obstacle to life, rare- 

 faction of the air will prevent the founding 

 of durable states at a level higher than 

 4,000 metres. 



Chinese Wheelbarrows. In commenting 

 on an improved style of wheelbarrow, a cor- 

 respondent of the Gardener's Chronicle 

 praises the Chinese for the ingenuity they 

 display in diminishing to the last degree 

 the labor of the man who propels the bar- 

 row. The Chinese barrow has but one 

 wheel, but it is large, and placed in the cen- 

 tre of the bed of the vehicle ; the entire 



load rests on this central wheel. In Shang- 

 hai, thousands of tliese vehicles ply for hire 

 in the streets, the usual load being two per- 

 sons, who sit on a wooden platform on each 

 side of the wheel, resting one arm on a 

 framework which rises above the top of the 

 wheel, and planting one foot in a stirrup 

 made of rope. "It is by no means uncom- 

 mon, however," he adds, "to see as many 

 as four persons conveyed without any par- 

 ticular effort (the ground being level) by a 

 stalwart coolie ; " garden and farm produce 

 is transported in the same way, and even 

 live-stock : the Chinese farmer being too 

 sensible to attempt to drive his pigs to 

 market, the barrow is often seen laden with 

 a live fat hog on each side of the wheel. 



aTe-3abitations in Kentucky. That 

 some of the great caves of Kentucky were, 

 temporarily at least, used as places of human 

 habitation, is conclusively shown by Prof. 

 Putnam's exploration of Salt Cave. This 

 cave, says Prof. Putnam, approaches the 

 Mammoth Cave in the size of its avenues 

 and chambers. Throughout one of the 

 principal avenues, for several miles, were 

 to be traced the ancient fireplaces both for 

 hearths and lights. Bundles of fagots were 

 found in several places in the cave. But 

 the most important discovery was made in 

 a small chamber, about three miles from 

 ] the entrance. On the dry soil of the floor 

 were to be seen the imprints of the sandaled 

 feet of the former race who had inhabited 

 the cave, while a large number of cast-off" 

 sandals were found, neatly made of finely- 

 braided and twisted rushes. 



The Tse of Bushy Tails. It is easy to 

 see the usefulness to the opossum, monkey, 

 and other animals, of their prehensile tails. 

 So, too, we can recognize the value to the 

 horse and the ox of the switches by means 

 of which these animals repel the attacks of 

 insects. But there are other forms of the 

 tail the uses of which are less evident, for 

 instance, the bushy tail seen in the fox, dog, 

 wolf, cat, etc. Mr. Lawson Tait holds that 

 the use of this bushy appendage is com- 

 pletely analogous to that of the respirator 

 worn by persons troubled with lung-com- 

 plaints, the object being to abstract from 

 the expired air, by means of fur in the one 



