158 



KNOWLEDGE • 



[March 24, 16bu 



1 Wvro out HliDotiiig; wo parted in t)io middle of n Inrgo fiold, I 

 homownrd with tlio ilogg, lip to a cormr of the fluid whore wii* n 

 likoly lyiiiK plnco for gnipc. A snipe nmci nnil ho firod ; one of tho 

 ilogn' lK>lt<'d awiiy from inr, but iiiBtrnd nf riiiming stmiglit to my 

 lirothiT, who could ciisily be seon, nnd the 8moko of whoso gun was 

 still conspiruous, tho dog ran bnck on my track till ho canio to 

 whiTo wc had parted before, and then followed np my brother's 

 ini.i, till Ih- niiihed him. Tki8 dog was a rotriovur. — Ci-abk. 



(Oufiifsf. 



[335] — Teicyles. — Will Mr. Browning kindly say if ho knows 

 the " Edinburgh," and will he point out what he considers its 

 faults?— F. H. S. 



[336] — "l.N Memobiam." — Can you kindly t«ll me to whom 

 'J'ennyson refers in the opening stanzn of this poem ? 

 I held it truth, with him who sings 

 To one clear harp in divers tones. 

 That men may rise on stepping-stones 

 Of their dead selves to higher things. 

 1 have been trying to ascertain for iifteon years past, and 1 thought 

 Goethe was intended, but now Dr. Gatty tells mo that tho poet 

 cannot be identitied. On p. l*t (Q. 51), you ask if the .stanza con- 

 taining the allu.'fion to " tho crimson-circled star" is not LXXXIX. ? 

 In my edition (17th), it is LXXXVIII., but Tennyson has inserted 

 an additional stanza about the yew-tree in the later editions, 

 between XXXVIII. and XXXIX.— E. C. Mai.an. 



[337] — Selk- Acting Blowpipe. — While cleaning a small tin spirit 

 lamp, I removed tho brass top, together with the wick. A small quan- 

 tity of spirits remained in the lamp, and a few di-ops stuck to the 

 opening. On applying a light and inverting the lamp, a flame 

 nearly three feet long nisliod out with great vehemence, accom- 

 panied by a loud and gradually increasing roar. At this pleasing 

 stage of the experiment the lamp became uncomfortably warm, and 

 was promi)tly dropjMjd, when the flame instantly vanished. Could 

 a modification of the above be used with safety as a blowpipe ? 

 Perhaps some of your readers who are insured will kindly carry the 

 experiment a step or two further. — J. H. 



[338]— The Breaks ix the Singing Voice. — Can any of your 

 readers give a scientific explanation of the breaks in the human 

 singing voice, of their cause and cure ? Can they, at the same time, 

 name a few really scientific works bearing on the subject. — Musters 

 [Manchester]. 



[339] — ErsKAKiANS. — Can Mr. Grant Allen tell us of any 

 Euskorian words to be found iu Welsh or Irish ? Surely some — 

 names of places, at least — should be traceable by their resemblance 

 to Basque words. — S. C. Wood. 



[340] — Calculating Machines. — I shall feel much obliged if any 

 of your mathematical readers will kindly give a description of the 

 various machines which have been invented, also those at present 

 in use. I possess Palmer's disc, improved by Fuller, but find it 

 inaccurate. How can I measure a logarithm on a circle or a plane ? 

 Is there any book on calculating machines and their construction ? 

 Does the Clearing-house make use of any mechanical contrivance 

 for computing mileages ? — iNquiEER. 



[341] — Can any one give me a recipe to prevent incrustation on 

 the inside of a boiler of about 20 horse-power ? — G. Uobeets. 



Jltplifsf to (©unirsf. 



[274] — Drawing. — " Eozoon's" query is too vogue to admit of a 

 definite reply. There can be no bettor elementary training for the 

 eye and hand than to copy carefully the free-hand series, in all its 

 grades, of the South Kensington School of Art. For simple objects, 

 there is an excellent series published by Seeloy & Co., of Fleet- 

 street, and called, I think, " First Steps in Art." After this. Vore 

 Fostar's and J. D. Harding's are good for pencil, Leitch's for watei- 

 colotir. The rules of perspective for landscape are voi-y simple, and 

 come almost intuitively. But there is— happily for tho struggling 

 artist — no royal road here, any more than to the acquisition of a 

 foreign language — " French in six hours " notwithstanding. — R. S. 

 Stanpen. 



[274]— FoRAMiNiKERA OF Chalk.— Let " Eozoon " take a piece of 

 chalk, and with a soft tooth or nail-brush brush it underwater, and 

 then wash tho sediment well till tho water is not coloured, when 

 the residue will be nearly all foraminifera. — John O. Patterson. 



[2S5] — Scientific Tebhk. — " Pre«U-r W." may 6nd tho following 

 technical vocabularies of use : — For geology and physical geo- 

 graphy, " Uiindbodk of Terms," Blackwood & Sons; about 6«. 

 For botany, natural history, anatomy, modicino, and veterinary 

 surgery, Stormonlh'a " Manual of Scientific Terms," Mocluchlan i, 

 Stewart ; about 78. 6d. For Imtanical terms, Mr. C. Cooke't 

 " Manual of llntanical Terms," llardwicko. General — 1, Dr. 

 Henry's " Glossary of Scientific Terms," Smith, Elder, 4 Co. ; 2, Dr. 

 Nnttall's " Dictionary of Scientific Terms," Strahan 4 Co. ; about 

 5s. — K. P. Pobtek. 



[286] — El.KCTBiciTV.— " W. H." will find the simplest and best 

 text-book on electricity and magnetism is Noad's " Text-Book of 

 Electricity," revised by W. H. Preece, price 12a. 6d. j published by 

 Crosby, Lockwoo<l, 4 Co., London. — S. Feancw. 



[287] — Dr. Ferrior's formula to cure a cold in the head is : — ^ 

 Uydrochloratc of morphia, 2 grains ; acacia powder, 2 drachms ; 

 trisnitrato of bismuth, 6 drachms. Of this powder, a quarter to a 

 half may be used as snuff in the course of the twenty-four hours. 

 Each time tho nostrils are cleared another pinch should be taken. 

 Use a snuil-spoon, and sniff np forcibly. The above is most nsefnl 

 in nasal catarrh, but may not have much ctTeet in influenia. 

 Instead of the 2 drachms acacia I have found 1 drachm acacia and 

 1 drachm starch in powder less sticky, and I think better than the 

 original formula. — A Fokmee ScrrEREB. 



[289]— "The Burial of Moses' is by C. F. Alexander. It is to 

 be found in " Lyra .Anglicana," published by Houlston & Wright. — 

 B. J. Grosjean. [Also, apparently, to be found in a number of 

 works. Answered by nineteen correspondents, who mostly give 

 different references. We cannot insert all. — Ed.] 



[291] — Razor. — Because the heated metal causes swelling op 

 expansion of the skin and hair cylinders, and thereby brings them 

 into closer adaptation to the cutting edge of the razor. — K. 



[292] — Silver. — Precipitate the silver as chloride by adding to 

 the baths common salt. Well wash the jirecipitate, and place it in 

 a glass vessel with a few scraps of metallic zinc and a little dilute 

 sulphuric acid (5 per cent.). The silver chloride is speedily reduced 

 to metallic silver (a bronze powder), which can be well washed, 

 and then dissolved in nitric acid to form the nitrate again. Another 

 method is to fuse the chloride obtained as above with carbonate of 

 soda and charcoal at a good red heat. A button of silver is then 

 obtained. Fire-clay crucibles can be bought for a few pence, i.e., 

 from Is. per dozen upwards. GriflBn & Co., of Garrick-strect, W.C., 

 or any other chemical instrument makers, would supply them.— 

 Pharmacist. 



[292] — Treatment of Silver Residues. — Best method; add to 

 the residues hydrochloric acid in excess to throw down silver 

 chloride ; warm, filter, and thoroughly wash the precipitate ; dry at 

 gentle heat. Mis with tmce its weight of dry sodium carbonate, 

 and one-tenth as much potassium nitrate, with a little borax as flax. 

 Heat a small clay crucible (an ordinary fire may be used) ; when 

 red-hot, throw in the mixture gradually with an iron spoon, urging 

 the heat with pair of bellows. Stir to prevent frothing ; when com- 

 pletely fused, heat a little longer, and pour out on piece of slate. 

 It is well to pm-ify by remelting in a clean crucible with a little borax. 

 The ingot of silver may be boiled in dilute nitric acid till dissolved, 

 the solution evaporated do^\'n, and left for silver nitrate to crystallise 

 out. Metallic silver can be obtained without usiutj a crucible, by, 

 setting up a galvanic action with zinc and dilute sulphuric acid^ 

 when metallic silver (black or grey) is precipitated from the silver. 

 chloride ; but I must warn F. A. B. that the difficulty of avoiding 

 organic impiuitics and nitro-compounds renders this method unfit for^ 

 such delicate work as photography. Cruoibles may be obtained for 

 3d. each at any chemical apparatus manufacturers, such as Townsoa. 

 & Mercer, 89, Bishopsgate-stroot Within. — C. Harris. 



[292] — Silver.— This would take two much space to answer here, 

 but F. A. B. will find full particulars in a book published by 

 Hockinife Co., 38, Duko-stieet, Manchester-square, called " Pmctical 

 Hints on Photography." Crucibles can be obtained from 4d. per 

 doz. up to 2s. 6d. each. — Alpha Centauri. 



[299] — Magic Lantern. — Certainly it is possible. Get to see • 

 lantern, and copy the woodwork ; but that is tho lenst important 

 part. You had better purchase " Chadwick's Magic Lantern 

 Manual," price Is., but don't have anything to do with the patenb 

 gasholder described in it. — Lewis Akundel. 



[301] — Magic Lantern. — An ordinary 3|-in. lantern is what yoft 

 want. But get " Chadwick's Magic I^antorn Manual." price Is. Ho 

 is rather good on scientific projections. — Lewis Arundel. 



[302]. — Vegetarianism. — Mr. J. A. Ollard should obtain publica- 

 tions of the Vegetarian Society (sent free to any address on receipt 

 of post-card by the Secretary, 5G, Peter-street, ilanchester), and 

 " The Penny Vegetarian Cookery," or " How to Spend Sixpence," 

 price Id. each. — G. C. 



[302]. — Vegetable Food. — Sir Henrj- Thompson's " Food and 

 Feeding." — K. 



