Nerves 

 Night 



SCIENTIFIC SIDE-LIGHTS 



490 



to the muscles of the arm is not by a di- 

 rect route from the one spot to the other, 

 but by a nervous center. Every nerve-fiber 

 rising from the surface of the body, or from 

 the eye or the ear, goes first of all to the 

 spinal cord or to some part of the brain; 

 and any influence exerted on the movements 

 by stimulating these fibers passes out from 

 some nervous center. As in the circulation 

 of letters by post, there is no direct comuni- 

 cation between one street and another, but 

 every letter passes first to the central office, 

 so the transmission of influence from one 

 member of the body to another is exclusively 

 through a center, or (with a few exceptions) 

 through some part of the nervous substance 

 contained in the head and backbone. Every 

 communication is centralized, and in con- 

 sequence there is not only great economy of 

 the conducting machinery, but also an avoid- 

 ance of conflicting messages. BAIN Mind 

 and Body, ch. 3, p. 8. (Hum., 1880.) 



2408. NERVES, SPECIFIC ACTION 



OF Senses Never Confused Eye Tells Only 

 of Light, Ear of Sound. Every nerve of 

 sense has a peculiar kind of sensation. We 

 know that each nerve can be rendered active 

 by a vast number of exciting agents, and 

 that the same agent may affect different 

 organs of sense; but no matter how it may 

 be brought about, we never receive from 

 nerves of sight any other sensation than 

 that of light, nor from the nerves of the 

 ear any other sensation than that of sound. 

 In short, we derive from each individual 

 nerve of sense that sensation only that cor- 

 responds to its specific action. The most 

 marked differences in the qualities of sen- 

 sation, that is to say, those between sen- 

 sations from different senses, are consequent- 

 ly in no way dependent on the nature of the 

 exciting agent, but only on the nerve appa- 

 ratus that is operated upon. HELMHOLTZ 

 Aim and Progress of Physical Science 

 (Popular Lectures on Scientific Subjects, p. 

 391). (Translated for Scientific Side-Lights.) 



2409. NERVES THE INTERPRETERS 

 OF THE WORLD TO THE MIND Be 



tween the mind of man and the outer world 

 are interposed the nerves of the human body, 

 which translate, or enable the mind to trans- 

 late, the impressions of that world into 

 facts of consciousness and thought. TYN- 

 DALI. Fragments of Science, ch. 2, p. 28. 

 (A., 1897.) 



241 0. NESTLINGS NOT TIMID IF 

 GENTLY APPROACHED No Instinctive 

 Fear of Man. To return to what may be 

 seen in nestling birds. When very young, 

 and before their education has well begun, 

 if quietly approached and touched, they open 

 their bills and take food as readily from a 

 man as from the parent bird. But if while 

 being thus fed the parent returns and emits 

 the warning note they instantly cease their 

 hunger cries, close their gaping mouths, and 



crouch down frightened in the nest. HUD- 

 SON Naturalist in La Plata, ch. 5, p. 89. (C. 

 & H., 1895.) 



2411. NESTS REBUILT ON SAME 

 SITES Migratory Birds Return to Early 

 Homes. For many years in succession a 

 pair of blue titmice built their nest in an 

 earthenware bottle placed in the branches 

 of a tree in a garden at Oxbridge, near Stock- 

 ton-on-Tees, and even where the surface of 

 the country has undergone a complete 

 change some species will continue breeding 

 on the beloved spot. In America orioles 

 and vireos appear to return to the same 

 tree, or even to affix their nest to the same 

 branch, for many successive years; and in 

 like manner Allen has noticed how the wren, 

 the pewee, and the robin repeatedly occupy 

 the same nesting sites. BROWN Nature- 

 Studies, p. 16. (Hum., 1888.) 



2412. NET, THE, COEVAL WITH 

 HISTORY Egyptian Monuments Show Its 

 Skilful Use. The net is one of the things 

 known to almost all men so far as history 

 can tell. The native Australians net game 

 like ancient Assyrians or English poachers, 

 and are not less skilled in netting wild 

 fowl. To see this art at its height we may 

 look at the pictures of fowling-scenes on 

 the monuments of ancient Egypt, which 

 show the great clap-nets taking geese by 

 scores; even the souls of the dead are de- 

 picted rejoicing in this favorite sport in 

 the world beyond the tomb. TYLOR Anthro- 

 pology, ch. 9, p. 212. (A., 1899.) 



2413. NEWS "AHEAD OF TIME " 



Electricity Outtravels the Sun. We are 

 now able to receive accounts of great events 

 almost while they are happening on the 

 other side of the globe; and, owing to dif- 

 ference of longitude, we sometimes can hear 

 of an event apparently before it has hap- 

 pened. If some great official were to die 

 at Calcutta at sunset, we should receive 

 the news soon after noon on the same day. 

 WALLACE The Wonderful Century, ch. 3, 

 p. 21. (D. M. & Co., 1899.) 



2414. NEWS BY TELEPHONE 



Printing of Extras Dispensed with. The 

 telephone is actually in operation at Buda- 

 pest in the form of a telephonic newspaper. 

 At certain fixed hours throughout the day 

 a good reader is employed to send definite 

 classes of news along the wires which are 

 laid to subscribers' houses and offices, so 

 that each person is able to hear the particu- 

 lar items he desires, without the delay of 

 its being printed and circulated in successive 

 editions of a newspaper. It is stated that 

 the news is supplied to subscribers in this 

 way at little more than the cost of a daily 

 newspaper, and that it is a complete suc- 

 cess. WALLACE The Wonderful Century, ch. 

 3, p. 23. (D. M. & Co., 1899.) 



2415. NEWTON SECURES A FILM 

 THAT IS VARIABLE AND MEASURABLE 



