332 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



[September 1, 1886.\- 



coloured surface is exposed, with the result of notably alter- 

 ing the combined colour. Mr. Gorham also devised an 

 adjunct of the utmost simplicity which gives very pretty 

 results. It consists of a black circular card placed loosely 

 on the stem of the top, above the combination of coloured 

 discs, and having some regular pattern (such, for example, 

 as that shown in fig. 2), cut or punched out of it. A piece 



Fig. 2. 



of string attached to the periphery of this dLsc checks its 

 rotation, and causes it to jwoceed to a certain extent by fits 

 and starts, with the result that the eye looking down upon 

 the black disc sees the pattern beautifully diversified by the 

 colours of the subjacent Maxwell's discs, both separately and 

 in combination. Of course this arrangement can be adapted 

 to the whii-ling table, too. 



Another simple contrivance of Mr. Gorham's to a certain 

 extent performs the work of the double-image prism 

 described on p. 96. This consists of a common pill-box, 

 with small holes pricked through the bottom of it, and 

 covered with films of coloured gelatine. Another hole is 

 pricked centrally in the lid through which the bottom per- 

 forations are viewed against a strong light, with the pretty 

 obvious result of causing the diffused colouied discs (pro- 

 duced by viewing the holes at so very short a distance) 

 lai-gely to overlap, and so to exhibit the phenomena of 

 superposed, or rather combined, coloured lights. 



Here, then, we terminate our attempt to fui-nish the 

 student with the means of grounding himself in the elements 

 of physical optics by the aid of apparatus within the reach 

 of everyone. It only now remains for the editor to com- 

 mence that exposition of " Light-sifting," without which the 

 subject would be left in but an incomplete state indeed. 



A Land of Coldless Cold. — On the island of Chiloe, 

 on the .south-west coast of South America, they have 290 

 cold, lainy days in the year, four-fifths of the rain being 

 mixed with sleet. Yet the natives of that remarkable clime 

 enjoy an equally remarkable immunity from pulmonary 

 disorders. Catarrhs are so nearly unknown that our 

 current theories on the origin of "colds" seem in urgent 

 need of a revision. The latter fact appears to have been 

 recogni-sed now and then. " I shall not attempt to explain," 

 says Benjamin Franklin, " why damp clothes occasion colds 

 rather than wet ones, because I doubt the foct. The cause 

 of ' colds,' I believe, is totally independent of wetness, and 

 even of cold." — Dr. Felix L. Oswald. 



An " Everlasting " Good Shot. — Jo Brown, one of the 

 Georgia senators, used to be the best shot with a squirrel 

 ride in the south. His fother would give him twelve 

 bullets and tell him to bring in twelve squirrels. " And 

 mind ye," the old man would add, " let the holes be tlirough 

 their 'tarnal heads." 



AMERICANISMS. 



(^Alphabetically arranged.') 

 By Richard A. Proctor. 



(^Cmitinued from page 276.) 



Evening. In the South and West " evening " runs from 

 noon to sunset, when night begins. It is probable that this 

 is really the older usage. Noon, in fact, marks the evening 

 or equalising of the part of the day passed and the part 

 that is still to come. 



Eventuate. To happen. Worcester says the word is 

 " rarely " used by English writers, and Webster says it is 

 " rare " in England. Is it ever used, except as slang, by 

 English writers 1 1 have never seen it. Walker does not 

 mention it, not even as a bad word. 



Everlasting, everlastingly. The use of these words as in- 

 tensatives is peculiar to America, and probably, like many 

 other of the profanities of the new country, had its origin 

 in Puritan communities. Just as in many Catholic coun- 

 tries we find references to all that Catholics hold in special 

 reverence used as the most convenient forms for swearing, 

 so in New England, formerly, " tarnation " (for " damna- 

 tion ") was used for extra emphasis. And naturally the 

 adjectives used by religious folk there in cheerful association 

 with " damnation " came also to be fovourites with the pro- 

 fane. Since damnation is to be eternal or everlasting, so 

 " eternal " in the form " tarnal " was early recognised as a 

 convenient expletive. " Everlasting " took a similar posi- 

 tion. " America is an ' everlasting ' gi-eat country " ; 

 " America whipped the Britishers to ' everlasting ' smash " ; 

 " may I he everlastingly dog-goned," and so forth and so 

 forth — everlastingly. 



Every once in a while. Bartlett remarks that this is pro- 

 bably English. He might have written " certainly." "Once 

 now and again " is another English form having the same 

 meaning. The difference between the use of such forms in 

 America and in England is simply in their standing. In 

 England they are used only by the illiterate. 



Excellency. A courtesy title given to governors of States. 

 The constitution of Massachusetts allows the title — so that 

 General Benjamin Butler, loved of New Orleans, would 

 now be an Excellency if he had secured a majority over 

 Robinson in 188.3. Occasionally its use suggests the quasi 

 lucus d non lucendo principle. However, there is probably 

 about as much excellency in the average State governor in 

 America as there is grace in an average duke, or majesty in 

 ordinary kings and queens, or divinity in the kings and 

 queens of two centimes ago. 



Excursionist. Bartlett has this word as an Americanism, 

 presumably because it is now used in America in precisely 

 the sense which has long been given to the word in the old 

 country. 



Executive, The. Vide Excursionist. 



Ex]}ect, To. Used like " guess," " reckon," " calculate." 

 Webster is very severe on all such mistakes. 



E.vperience. There is a religious use of this word which 

 is, I sincerely trust, an Americanism pure and simple. 

 When a preacher, professional or otherwise, s;iys he is going 

 to tell his " experience " he means that he is going to tell 

 how he " got religion " — another slang expression, which, 

 we may hope, is not English. Statistics tend to show that 

 about nine out of ten who in this sense are ready to tell 

 their " experience " end by getting more than religion, and 

 about five of the nine have to get out. Retired prize-fighters, 

 detected swindlers, repentant convicts, and used-up tipplers 

 are special favourites (not always in America only) when 

 " experiences " are to be related. 



