"BUFFER" SPRINGS. 369 



those parts which correspond with the anthers of the flowering 

 plants. When placed in water they have a curious way of 

 coiling and twisting themselves spirally, so as to make their 

 way through, the water in a tortuous, but tolerably rapid, 

 course. This movement is effected by the contraction and 

 expansion of the spirally twisted filament. The upper figure 

 represents a group of Antherozoids in their cells, and the 

 lower is a much more magnified figure of a single Anthero- 

 zoid as it appears when free, and in the act of moving through, 

 the water. 



ON the accompanying illustration are many examples of 

 Spiral Springs, both natural and artificial. We will take these 

 in their order. 



The upper left-hand figure represents the " BuiFer," by which, 

 the carriages of railway trains are prevented from jarring 

 against each other. 



Perhaps some of my readers may be old enough to remember 

 the days of the old railway carriages that were connected by 

 short chains, and furnished with buffers that were merely 

 padded. As the train started a separate jerk was given to 

 every carriage by the tightening of the chains, and, as it 

 stopped, all the carriages bumped against each other in a most 

 unpleasant manner. Now, however, the buffers are furnished 

 with powerful springs, and are pressed strongly against each 

 other by means of screw-bolts, so that they form one con- 

 tinuous line. 



In fact and here is another analogy between Art and 

 Nature a train, when properly made up, bears a close resem- 

 blance to a human spine, the carriages being analogous to the 

 vertebraB, and the spring buffers to the elastic cartilages 

 between the vertebrae. 



Nowadays, owing to this arrangement, the whole train 

 moves together, and can be started and stopped so gently 

 that the passengers are hardly aware of movement or stoppage. 

 For example, one of my friends was in a train which came into 

 collision with some obstacle. The carriages in front were 

 dashed to pieces, and several of the passengers killed. His 

 carriage, however, which was nearly at the end of the train, 

 and had the benefit of all the springs, was hardly shaken, and 



B B 



