Vol. XXrV. No. 4.] 
POPULAR SCIENCE I^EWS. 
57 
Slje Popular Scieqce I^ews. 
BOSTON, APRIL i, 1890. 
AUSTIN p. NICHOLS, S.B Editor. 
WILLIAM J. ROLFE, LiTT.D., . AesociiUe Editor. 
The eminent astronomer Schiaparelli, 
of the Milan Observatory, lias published the 
results of his observations upon the planet 
Mercurv, by which' he is led to conclude that 
the time of its rotation on its axis is the same 
as that of its revolution around the sun, viz., 
87.9693 days, its motions being thus analo- 
gous to those of the moon. It has long been 
noticed that the markings in the disk of Mer- 
cury, when observed at the same hour on 
consecutive days, were identical in their 
aspect, but the opinion of Schroter, that this 
was due to the rotation time of Mercury being 
nearly the same as that of the earth, has been 
generally accepted. The brilliant result ob- 
tained by the Italian astronomer is of great 
theoretical importance, and may lead to im- 
portant changes in our theories of celestial 
mechanics. 
ently condensed, i. e., 2C28 in the first, 2C-2-2 
in the second, and 3C1G in the third. The 
important bearing of these researches upon 
the theory of the elements will readily be 
recognized by chemists. 
A puobahle new element is announced by 
Grunwald, who concludes that the assumed 
elements tellurium, antimony, and copper 
contain traces of a new, hitherto unknown 
element, of Mendeleefl''s eleventh series. It 
is on the one hand related to tellurium, and 
on the other hand very clo.sely to bismuth. 
It is very probably identical with the element 
of group VI., series ii,- having the approxi- 
mate atomic weight 212, and also with Dr. 
B. Brauner's "Austriacum" recently dis- 
covered in tellurium. It is not stated 
whether the supposed new clement exists 
simply as an impurity,' in the old elements 
in which it occurs, or whether the last named 
are to be considered as compound bodies, 
composed of two hitherto unrecognized ele- 
ments, but the former supposition seems 
much the more probable. 
Berthelot and Petit have been studying 
the constitution and chemical relations of the 
forms of carbon known as graphites, and 
have obtained results which are of great 
interest and importance from a theoretical 
standpoint. They claim to have discovered 
three different forms of graphite, which form 
three definite series of permanent chemical 
compounds. Each graphite would thus rep- 
resent a different simple radical. For in- 
stance, there are three distinct graphitic 
oxides : that of the graphite of cast-metal 
contains 62.7 per cent, of carbon, that of 
amorphous graphite (plumbago) contains 
■56. 2 per cent., and that of electric carbon 
51.9 per cent. The comparison may be 
made by admitting that one and the same 
proportion of oxygen, such as Ok;, is com- 
bined in the three bodies to carbons differ- 
The present winter, although of unex- 
ampled mildness on shore, has been note- 
worthy among seamen for the terrible storms 
which have swept o\er the North Atlantic 
Ocean. Few steamers sailing between the 
United States and Europe have made their 
passages without suflering more or less dam- 
age from wind and waves. A correspondent, 
referring to this subject, asks how so much 
damage can be done by a wave if, as is gen- 
erally held, it has no progressive motion as a 
mass of water. It is true that any given 
particle of water in an ocean wave has merely 
a vertical, or up and down motion, and that 
it is only the motion o^ the water that pro- 
gresses, and not the water itself; but the fact 
is that the damage is done by the breaking up 
of the crest of a wave, at the proper moment 
to allow the mass of water composing it to 
sweep over the vessel with almost irresistible 
force. A similar occurrence may be observed 
at the sea-shore at any time, when the waves 
may be seen rolling quietly in toward the 
shore, and giving little indication of the 
energy stored up in them till they .strike the 
rocks or the beach, when the crest rolls over, 
and the whole mass of water breaks up and 
is precipitated forward with great force. 
This tendency of waves to break up can be 
prevented by spreading oil upon the 'water. 
The effect is almost magical, and many ves- 
sels have been saved from foundering by its 
use. It is estimated that a film of oil 
1-200,006 of an inch in thickness will prevent 
this "combing" tendency of the waves, and 
transform them into smooth, long swells, 
over which the vessel rides in safety. 
Another eccentricity of this remarkable 
season was a thunder-storm which occurred 
on the evening of February iSth. A thunder- 
storm in winter, during a period of warm 
weathtr, is not uncommon in this vicinity, 
but it is very unusual during the ordinary 
winter weather, with- the ground covered 
with snow, and a temperature near zero. 
The storm was brief, but violent. The 
lightning struck the wires of the electric 
street-railroad in Cambridge, and passed to 
the ground through a car, doing no harm, but 
badly frightening the passengers. Take it 
all together, we doubt if even the traditional 
"oldest inhabitant" can remember a season 
equal to the winter which has just passed. 
A FEW months ago, a man convicted of a 
most atrocious crime was pardoned from the 
Massachusetts State Prison, for no apparent 
reasons except that he promised to be good, 
and had enough money to interest outsiders 
to work for his release. He had scarcely 
been at liberty six weeks before he murdered 
his own brother in cold blood, in order that 
he might inherit some of his property. This 
sad affair ought to be a lesson both to those 
crack-brained philanthropists who waste so 
much sjmpath)- upon their unfortunate 
friends, the criminals, and for those State 
Officials who weakly consent to the liberation 
of such beasts in human form, to again com- 
mence their warfare upon society.- The 
crime for which this man was first convicted 
was well worth}' of death, and the least that 
the public can demand of their legislative 
servants is, that such crimes shall be made 
unpardonable, except upon proof of inno- 
cence. 
The story, related in another column, of 
the fight between a wasp and a bee, is cer- 
tainly a most remarkable one, although well 
authenticated. That a wasp should have 
sufficient intelligence to make and use an 
artificial weapon to aid him in the combat, is 
most surprising, and shows a higher mental 
capacity than that possessed by some men. 
The great development of the intellectual 
faculties in certain insects, like wasps and 
bees, is a fact very difficult of explanation, 
and it is only an evasion of the difficulty to 
call it "instinct." Although the faculty of 
instinct does exist, in tiie human race as well 
as animals, yet it is often impossible to dis- 
tinguish it from reason, as in the case referred 
to above. 1 
Mr. C. a. Stephens, of Norway Lake, 
Maine, oflers three cash prizes of $175, $125, 
and $100 for the best three comparative dem- 
onstrations, as to the causes of failing nutri- 
tion in aging organisms, by means of micro- 
scopical slides, of the blood capillaries in 
young and in aged tissues, canine or human. 
Circulars giving full particulars will be sent 
on application. 
SOME ASSUMPTIONS OF SCIENCE. 
It is not going too far to say that the 
modern sciences of chemistry and physics 
are based upon theories which have never 
been proved to be true, but are, possibly, or 
even probably, unprovable. The two funda- 
mental conceptions regarding matter and 
energy — the atoms and the ether — are 
assumptions, pure and simple, and the only 
justification we have for assuming their ex- 
istence is the very strong one that they per- 
fectly explain all the observed phenomena, 
and, even further, that by reasoning from 
them as a basis, we can predict what phe- 
nomena will occur under previously untried 
conditions, and have our prediction fulfilled 
when the proposed conditions are obtained. 
Take, for a single instance, the theory of 
atoms. It is a fact of common osbervation 
