120 CAPTURE, WHEAT-EAK, 



A writer in a foreign journal recommends a small quantity of 

 turpentine added to the water in which linen articles are being washed, for 

 the purpose of whitening them. 



Magnetic-Electric Machines. — Since the invention of Wilde's machine 

 in which a weak current produced by tlie revolution of the armatiu-e of a 

 permanent magnet was made to produce an astonishingly intense current 

 by traversing the coils of a large electro-magnet — several contrivances have 

 been attempted with the view of dispensing altogether with the permanent 

 magnet. The most notable of these are the machines of Wheatstone and 

 Siemens, papers on which were read before the Royal Society, on February 

 14th. Both machines resemble each other in principle and construction. 

 The current from a voltaic battery is sent through the coils of an electro- 

 magnet ; the connection with the battery is now cut ofE ; and the residual 

 electricity in the electro -magnet may be augmented by the revolution of 

 the armature to such a degree that Avater may be decomposed, and lengths 

 of platinum-Avire fused by it. These machines however do not promise 

 to become of much practical use. 



Oxidation hy Charcoal. — At a meeting of the Chemical Society on 

 the 7th inst,, Dr, Calvert, of ]\Ian Chester, described some interesting 

 experiments in which charcoal impregnated with Oxygen was made to act 

 upon various compounds. Some of the results were, the immediate con- 

 version of alcohol into acetic acid, the oxidation of sulphurous and hydro- 

 sulphuric acids into sidphiu-ic acid, and the transformation of wood spirit 

 into formic acid. 



Artificial Meerschaum Bone, (J-c. — It is stated that at the Paris 

 Exhibitions, there were to he shown specimens of meerschaum, horn, coral, 

 veneering, &c., prepared from potatoes, turnips, and caiTots, by treating 

 them with sulphuric aeid, caustic soda, and several other re-agents. These 

 are certainly novel applications. Fancy a knife handle made out of a 

 carrot, a snuff-box from a tui-nip, and a pipe from a potato. 



(i>^)\)xxt—%^^xtlll^■tm, 



On Saturday, JMarch 2.jrd, a specimen of the Wheat-ear (Sylvia 

 yEnanthe), was shot by Mr. Thomas Foukls at Park Field, jMount Tabor 

 This is an early instance or tlie Wheat-ear bciiig met witli in the neigh- 

 bourhood, considering tlie very severe weallier we have experienced. 



