434 



KNOWLEDGE 



[March 17, 1882. 



tho dark liiu- which prcccdod rain ; nnd, prodacinf; a pocket Bppc- 

 trr«oo|M'. poinUul it oft. Uavi'iK puri-haflod, tho year boforo, when 

 at tho Hritinh AiwH-iiitiiiii in I<iviTpmil, from John llniwiiiinf, a nix- 

 primn iimi>miitio Hpcctrom- [le, Mr. Cooko camo homo with mo to 

 tent thcn-in thiH Imiiil, which wiis now very ohviouB, nnd from thiit 

 day to tlio pivBont it hiis boon, boforo rain, n fumiliar iiabjuct to my 

 frioDds and myaolf. 



Roforrinit to your foot note of the nnrscry rliynic, whicli, doubt- 

 Icmi, Mr. I^ockycr onjoycd hh much aa iinyone (?), these arc tho wordH 

 fpvcn to niP by one of the n\enibcrs of the 1870 KcHpse Ex|)eilition, 

 OD hia return home : 



■ • • • 



Till he of tho Corona, 

 Snys, Normnn is owner, 

 And the rest of tho Bun shines for Lockver. I'uiam. 



EARTHENWARE INSULATORS. 

 [345]— .4propo« of tho electric " Telegraph," " The wires and insu. 

 lators," Knowlkdgk, Vol. l.,371, I was, some four or five years ago, 

 havinj; a conversation with an electrical engineer; and he informed me 

 that in the manufacturo «{ earthenware insulators, a large quantity 

 of animal charcoal was ured ; but if any human bone got mixed with 

 the others and burnt, the insulators (sn-called) were useless, as they 

 did not produce insulation, and ho told nic that he was a loser in a largo 

 contract entered into for insulators, in consequence of some human 

 bones having got among others which were used for the charcoal 

 for mixing with tho other materials of which the insulators were 

 composed, and not one of which executed its appointed task, llave 

 you ever hear of this peculiarity of human charcoal, and can you 

 account for it ? A. T. C. 



SPECIAL NOTICE. 



FOR some time past our Queries and Replies have involved a serious 

 and growing difficulty, which we had proposed to remedy in 

 Slime degree by having two numbers of 32 pp. per month. But the 

 diCficulty increased so much that this measure would only, we feel 

 assured, afford temporary relief. We must, therefore, adopt a more 

 satisfactory renied}-. Tlic difficulty is this : many questions arc 

 asked (perhaps about a tenth of those asked appear under head 

 Queries) ; to some questions ten or a dozen replies are sent in, of 

 which, perhaps, only one can bo admitted, while other questions 

 remain unanswereil. Correspondents who have written out queries 

 or replies are not well pleased if their labour is wasted, yet much 

 labour must be wasted according to our present arrangement. If. 

 as we proposed, wo enlarge our sheet occasionally to admit more 

 questions and answers, there would be delay in many cases, and the 

 bulk of our readers would not care greatly to have simply eight 

 more pages of correspondence, queries, and replies. In fact, we 

 should have not a few letters pointing out that whereas in number, 

 X, 12 pages out of 20, or 3-5ths, were original matter, in number 

 (i + l) there were 12 out of 28, or only 3-7ths, "and this, Mr. 

 Editor, is grossly unjust." We shall hereafter adopt, therefore, a 

 different system with queries. They will be classified, and sent to 

 experts in the departments to which they respectively belong, who 

 will reply to them at greater or less length, according to the nature 

 of the queries, but in such a way that each reply will convey 

 information to others besides the querist. These replies may, 

 from time to time, furnish occasion for correspondence, cor- 

 rections, suggestions, and so forth ; but, for the most part, a 

 query once asked and answered will be finally disposed of. 

 Thus, much less space will be occupied by questions and replies, 

 while much more satisfactory information will be given not only to 

 each individual (|nerist, but to our readers generally. The "Queries" 

 and " Replies " columns will thus be practically merged in 

 " Answers to Correspondents," classified under various headings — 

 Astrology, Geology, Chemistry, Botany, Entomology, and so forth. 

 It is hanlly necessary to point out to our readers that this arrange- 

 ment, by which the usefulness of Knowlepge will be greatly in- 

 creased, will not be altogether so inexpensive as one by which 

 readers are left to answer each others' questions. The proprietors 

 of K.NowLEnr.E cannot, therefore, at the same time, enlarge the 

 numbers. But when the growing circulation of Kn'owledoe justifies 

 that course aUn, readers will gain much more by it, as there will be 

 an increase of original matter, instead of a mere growth of the 

 Correspondence columns. 



Owi.Nfi to the illness of engraver, the large picture of the looped 

 path of Mors, with reference to the earth, from 1875 to 1892, has 

 been delayed. It will appear without fail next week. — Ed. 



It should have; been mentioned that tho note on the appearance of 

 Japitcr, in No. 18, was extracted from the A'unsas Science Sludeat. 



The Editor. 



(@urri(S. 



fSllj-IlEATi.so Room.— Will Mr. W. Mattieu Williams kindlygay 

 what are the objections (if any), in a saniuiry point of view, to 

 heating a room by means of an atmospheric* (Bunsen) boraer 

 without a stove-pipe or vent, provided it is kept burning with a 

 perfectly bluo llamo 'r -J. W. B. 



[312] — I'trolooual. — Will Colonel Rous please say: — 1. If, 

 having tried Fletcher's lamp for burning solid fats (modified form 

 for travellers), ho can recommend some? 2. Where the lOa. 6d. 

 microsco|ie8 he mentions in " Pyrcjlogy " arc to be got? 3. Where 

 tho spectrum lorgnette is to be got, and the price ? 4. What fat, or 

 fats, are best for blowpipe work ? — Jkmima. 



[313] — Botanical. — Would any one kindly give tho name and J 

 j)rice of a book giving the derivations and meanings of the Tariooa - 

 botanical terms ? — Je.uima. 



[31 1] — EVEsiGiiT.---One of my eyes is only half the focus of the 

 other ; what is the best thing to be done ? — Jemima. 



[315] — A,stro-Photo(;rai'UV. — Will a reader kindly refer me to a 

 work on this subject, or give a few elementary instructions adapted 

 for a 3i-inch refractor. — C. J. C. 



[316] — Ati.a.ntic Cable. — Where can I obtain an account of the 

 laying of the Atlantic telegraph cable of 1865 ? — W. Y. N. 



[317] — Seal Fisheries. — How are seal-skins shipped to England, 

 &c., ])rocared ? Is it the case that the seal is flayed while alive 

 and conscious, and, if so, how is the animal afterwards treated ? — 

 J. 11. B. Fletcher. 



[31><] — Vegetarianism. — I shoold be obliged if "A Fellow of the 

 Chemical Society " would tell me where to obtain information as to 

 the details of a proper vegetarian diet, so that I could give my 

 household sufficient variety ; and also that I might not err, as did 

 those who fed " the prisoners " referred to. — G. A. S. 



[319 ,— BixocVLAR Microscope. — When using the quarter-inch 

 with binocular microscope, both tubes are not fully illuminated, but 

 there is always a dark shadow in one or other, wherever I place the 

 mirror. Is this unavoidable, or what will remedy the defect ? — . 

 J. E. S. 



[320] — Botany. — I am about to commence the study of botany, 

 and should be very thankful for any information as to books, Ac- 

 Would Cassell's lessons in the " Popular Educator " be of any use 

 to me ? I cannot afford anything that is expensive, as I am only a 

 weaver lad. — F. 



[321] — Botany. — Providing the ovules in the ovary of a flower 

 were unimpregnated, would they continue to devclope, and ulti- 

 mately to all outward appearance simulate true seeds. Of course, I 

 know they would not germinate. This is against all laws of 

 physiology. But everyone knows that a hen will lay eggs withoat . 

 the visit of the male bird. In replies, please quote references ? — ' 



JfMBO. 



[322] — Meterological. — (1) What is the best self-registering ■ 

 rain-gauge, price, and where procurable ? (2) Also tho handiest ' 

 cards or sheets for tabulating the readings of the barometer, wot ,' 

 and drj' bulb thermometers, rainfall, and prevailing winds ? ObseCf 

 vations taken thrice daily. — G. B. 



[323] — Shocking Coil. — Would any reader give full particulars 

 for making a powerful shocking coil, with the best form of battery 

 to use with the same in a small room, as I am desirous of making 

 one. — In Ambigio. 



[32t] — Electric Organ. — Having an intention of constructing 

 an organ similar to the one at Messrs. Maskelyne and Cooke's, wiD 

 some reader kindly explain the action, say from the keys to the' 

 pipes ? — Roberto. 



[325] — Stonehenge. — Can you inform me whether the Dmidi 

 placed the stones there, and if so, by what process ? — Slbscribkiu 



[32G] — Antarctic Regions. — Required information respecting 

 the geology of these regions. Thero are volcanoes, but are there 

 stratified rocks? 1 remember some years ago hearing it stated 

 that elephant's tusks had been found, and I notice in the map an 

 " Elephant Island." Is there any book that would throw light on 

 the subject ? I addressed a query to you, which you published, 

 about Valley -terraces in Dorsetshire (No. 261), but no one haa 

 thought it worth while to reply. — S. H. W. 



[327]— First B.Sc. Exam. (University of London) .—Could any 

 reader of Knowledge tell me the best books to procure for the 

 preparation of the various subjects required in the above ? — Und««- 



ORADfATE. 



[328]— Sub Teomine Fagi. — Can Mr. Grant Allen tell me why 

 herbage does not grow as readily under beeches as under other 



