Vol. XXII. No. 2.] 



POPULAE SCIET^CE NEWS. 



29 



land which the eclipse track crosses is the extreme 

 southern portion of South America, below latitude 

 40° south. 



Planets. — Mercury comes to greatest eastern 

 elongation on Feb. 17, and may be seen as an even- 

 ing star soon after sunset, low down near the west- 

 ern horizon, for a few days about that time. Venus 

 is still a morning star, but is gradually approaching 

 superior conjunction. At the end of the month it 

 rises less than two hours before the Sun. Mars 

 rises at about 11 p m. on Feb. 1, and at a little be- 

 fore 10 on Feb. 29. It is below and to the left of 

 Si>ica {Alpha Virginis), and increases its distance 

 from that star from about 4° to 9° during the 

 month. Jupiter is a morning star, rising at about 

 2.30 A.M. on Feb. 1, and at a little before 1 a m. 

 on Feb. 29. It is moving slowly eastward, and is 

 about 7° north and west of the first-magnitude star 

 Antares {Alpha Scorpii). Saturn is in Cancer, and 

 comes to the meridian a little before midnight on 

 the first of the month, and about two hours earlier 

 at the end. It is somewhat nearer Castor and 

 Pollux than during January. Uranus fs in Virgo, 

 and about 5° west and north of Spica. Neptune 

 is about 6° south of the Pleiades. 



Constellations. — The positions given are for 10 

 P.M. Feb. 1, 9 P.M. Feb. 15, and 8 p.m. Feb. 29. 

 Gemini is near the zenith; the principal stars. Cas- 

 tor and Pollux, being a little south and east Canis 

 Elinor, with the first-magnitude star Procyon, is on 

 the meridian to the south ; and below that is Canis 

 Major, with Sirius, the brightest of the fixed stars 

 Cancer, with Saturn, is just east of Gemini, and Leo 

 is about halfway from the eastern horizon to the 

 zenith, while Virgo is just rising in the east. Ursa 

 Major is high up in the north-east, and Bootes is 

 below it on the horizon. Ursa I^Iinor and Draco 

 lie principally to the east and below the pole. 

 Cassiopeia is in the north-west, about the same alti- 

 tude as the pole star. Just west of the zenith is 

 Auriga; below this and a little to the north of west 

 is Perseus; and Andromeda is near the horizon, 

 below Perseus. Taurus, with the groups of Pleiades 

 and Hyades, is a little south of west, and below it 

 are Aries and Pisces. Orion is about halfway 

 between Taurus and the southern meridian, the 

 principal stars being at a little lower altitude than 

 those of Taurus. 



M. 

 Peincbton, N.J.. Jan. 6, 1888. 



Comeponliente. 



Brit/ communications upon tuhjects of scientific interest 

 wilt be Welcomed from any quarter. The editors do not neces- 

 sarily indorse all views and statements presented by their cor- 

 respondents. 



DO HORSES HAVE SENSE? 

 Editors Popular Science News: 



Reading an article in the News of January, 1888, 

 entitled " Do Horses have Sense? " suggested a few 

 instances that have come under my personal obser- 

 vation, and which are evidence to me that horses 

 do have considerable sense, unless frenzied by a 

 burning building, and have an opportunity to ex- 

 ercise their wits. However, there are as many 

 grades of intelligence in horses as in mankind. 



My father owned a black mare which showed 

 unmistakable evidence of reasoning. At one time 

 in winter, being let out in the yard to get a drink, 

 she went up to the trough, and found it frozen over. 

 Now, the water came into the trough from above in 

 a brisk stream, and nearly always kept it open, and 

 previous to this time she had not seen it covered 

 with ice: so she lifted one of her fore feet, gave 

 tlie ice two or three smart blows, broke the ice, and 

 obtained water. 



Another horse would open doors and gates. If 

 the door closed with a latch, and the latch was 

 pinned down by a nail placed above it, he would 

 draw the nail with his teeth, and open the door. 

 He would invariably beat any combination we 

 could put on an ordinary method of closing a door 

 or gate. 



But the best instance, and in another locality, 

 was a horse that would pump water (for himself, of 

 course). He would seize the pump-handle between 

 his teeth, and work it up and down until a sufficient 

 amount was obtained, then go and drink it. If 

 other horses came to drink while he was pumping, 

 which was often the case, he would wheel around, 

 kick them away, and go on with his work. 



He learned this by himself, and in this manner: 

 naturally he associated the trough and pump with 

 the water he wanted to obtain ; and when he went 

 to the trough and found it dry, he would nose 

 around, and, happening to raise the pump-handle, 

 observed a little water flow out of the spout. He 

 saw that the moving of the pump-handle would 

 cause the water to flow, and continued moving it 

 up, theu down, and afterwards would seize the handle 

 deliberately with his teeth, and pump almost as fast 

 as a man would. 



This instance is no creation of the imagination. 

 I have seen him do it, and can refer to many others 

 who have witnessed the same And if it does not 

 show a distinct process of reasoning, then I do not 

 know what reasoning is. 



Very truly yours, 



I.. A. Frost, M D. 

 Jacksonville, III., Jan. i», 1888. 



WHOLE WHEAT AS AN ARTICLE OP DIET. 

 Editors Popular Science News : 



I AM pleased to see in your last number, for 

 January, 1888, an article written by Dr. Cutter of 

 New York concerning the use of whole wheat as 

 an article of diet If it were new to me, I prob- 

 ably should have said nothing more about it ; but 

 as I have been in the habit, for more than twenty- 

 five years, of advising the u.se of whole wheat as 

 an article of diet to many of my patients afflicted 

 with obstinate constipation, I thought it might not 

 be amiss to speak of it. As an article of diet 

 wheat heads the list of all the grains, and is much 

 better in the natural state, when properly cooked, 

 than after it has been maltreated by grinding, 

 bolting, etc. 



When properly cooked and used, I consider it 

 one of the most healthy and efficient remedies for 

 that malady or bane of the people of New Eng- 

 land, — constipation. It is a trouble that de.stroys 

 annually thousands of valuable lives, directly or in- 

 directly. I have at the present time many patients 

 who do not think of getting along without the 

 daily use of cooked wheat. 



There is no drug the equal of it for a natural relief 

 and cure of constipation. Oatmeal is very indiges- 

 tible in cases of dyspepsia or weak stomachs, and 

 many people will recover from the disease by leav- 

 ing off the use of oatmeal. 



My directions for preparing wheat for the table 

 differ a little from those of Mrs. Cutter — perhaps 

 a trifle more simple. Directions for cooking: 

 Take one pint of whole wheat, wash clean, and let 

 it .soak in cold water over night, and the next day 

 boil' or cook the same as you would rice, or until 

 it is thorouglily soft, when it is suitable for table 

 use. As Dr. Cutter has made no mention of the 

 use of whole wheat other than being palatable, I 

 have taken the liberty of .sending you this note. 



H. H. Hill, M.D. 

 Augusta, Me., Jan. i, 1888. 



DO WORMS FALL DURING SHOWERS? 

 Editors Popular Science News: 



I saw this query in the January number of the 

 Science News, by J. H. H., and one fact related, 

 among others, which seems to have led him to make 

 this inquiry. My experience has been similar to 

 his ; and my belief is, that they fall down. I have re- 

 peatedly seen these earth-worms in caldron kettles 

 suspended on long poles by bails or chains, and 

 having no connection with the ground only through 

 the bail or chain, and the pole and its rests; and 

 in many other situations I have found them where 

 I considered it impossible for such worms to get 

 without falling down, as in sap-troughs, and buck- 

 ets, tubs, pans, etc. A fact in connection with 

 the.se circumstances is, that, unless discovered in a 

 short time after getting into these vessels or traps, 

 they are dead, — drowned, I suppose; showing that 

 they are incapable of climbing out of the enclos- 

 ing wall, whatever it might be, as a pail or pan, 

 inclined outward, which they must have ascended 

 in an opposite inclination from the outside, if we 

 suppose the worms helped themselves in by crawl- 

 ing up from the ground. 



Another fact which no doubt has come within • 

 the observation of many, which may not be so con- 

 vincing, but which I think must be accounted for in 

 the same way, is this : After or during a smart, 

 warm shower in summer, after a diy spell, the 

 observer may see, if he is favorably situated, in a 

 hard-trodden dooryard or road (sometimes at least), 

 numerous earth-worms wriggling around. Now, 

 I think we cannot satisfactorily account for the 

 sudden appearance of so many worms in so short a 

 time, through so hard a crust of earth as I have 

 seen them, only in the way I have suggested. I 

 am inclined to think that these worms do not ap- 

 pear in every shower, but occasionally; under what 

 particular circumstances, my observation has not 

 yet enabled me to determine. 



I have seen them sometimes in quite cold weath- 

 er, but more generally in warm. I have given some 

 facts and my belief, but at present I will leave 

 the explanation to others. 



M. Holley. 

 Corinth, Mich., Jan. 6, 1888. 



Editors Popular Science News : 



After several months' stay in Mexico, I have just 



returned. Early in November last, after a slight 



rain, in passing over a regularly travelled road, for 



the distance of three miles I found the road and 



vicinity literally covered with small brown frogs 



three-quarters of an inch in length, hopping about 



in all directions. Where did they come from ? 



J. A. M. 

 Philadelphia, Jan. 3, 1888. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 



Letters of inquiry should enclose a two-cent stamp, 

 as well as the name and address of tlie writer, which 

 will not be published. 



Questions regarding the treatment of diseases can- 

 not be answered in this column. 



N. C, Worcester. — la certain cook-book recipes the 

 use of saleratus is directed without cream of tartar or 

 other acid. How can this salt alone possess any 

 "raising" power? 



Answer. — In saleratus, or bicarbonate of soda, a part 

 of the carbonic-acid gas is loosely combined, and is 

 driven off by the heat in cooking. Less than one-half 

 of the gas is thus available; and, unless tliere is some 

 special reason for dispensing with it, tlie cream of 

 tartar should be used. 



Inquirer, /ioston. — What is the cause and remedy 

 of offensive breathy 



Answer. — This condition may depend upon so many 

 different causes, that it would be impossible to give a 

 satisfactory answer. If the teeth and mouth are kept 

 clean, and the stomach is in good order, the breath will 



