12 



POPULAR SOIEHGE NEW§. 



I I w'l- \m . i<S,S(). 



ot the month. Venus is also an evening star grad- 

 uallv approaching its eastern elongation and great- 

 est brilliancv. It sets nearly three liours after the 

 sun. Mars is gradually growing fainter, but can 

 still be seen in the western sky in the evening, and 

 inav readilv he distinguished by its ruddy color. 

 Early in the month it is quite near Venus, the near- 

 est approach being on the morning of Jan. 2. when 

 the distance is only a little more than the moon's 

 diameter. Venus being 40'-" to the south. Both plan- 

 ets are apparently moving eastward. Venus faster 

 than Mars, and at the end of the month they will be 

 about 10° apart. Jupiter is a morning star rising a 

 little more than an hour before the sun, at the be- 

 ginning of the month and about three hours before 

 at the eud. Saturn rises at about 8 p. m., on Jan. 

 I, and at a little before 6 p. M., on Jan. 31. It is 

 slowlv retrograding (moving west) and is in the 

 constellation Leo. about 10^ west, and north of Rog- 

 ulus {A/pho Leonis) Uranus ri.ses about midnight, 

 being in quadrature on Jan. 11. It is nearly sta- 

 tionarv. and is about three degrees north of Spica 

 {A//>hii Virginis) Neptune crosses the meridian at 

 about 9 P. M.. at the beginning of the month, and is 

 about s*" south and east of the Pleiades. M. 



• l,\Ki. KoRE.sT. III. 



<♦♦ ■ 



.\ CURIOUS KGG. 

 Iloitors Popli.ar Science New.s: 



The family of Robert Wilkinson of Philadelphia 

 purchased recentl\-. from a farmer, a domestic fowl, 

 for table use. On preparing the fowl for cooking, it 

 was found to contain several undeveloped eggs, and 

 one which already was enclosed in partially hard- 

 ened shell. This, when broken, exhibited the usu- 

 al albumen and yolk, but somewhat mingled. In- 

 side this was what seemed to be another egg enclosed 

 in a thin membrane, and within this membrane was 

 a chick developed in every part, but devoid of any 

 appearance of feathers or down. The family have 

 preserved this curiosity in alcohol, and by them it 

 was shown to me. The reliability of their state- 

 ments is beyond question. 



Alkred Free. Pii. D. 



Ari.in(;t(>n IIeichts, M.\ss., Oct. 17. 18S8. 



ql;estion and answers. 



Letters of inquiry should enclose a two-cent 

 stamp, as well as the name and address of the wri- 

 ter, which will not be published. 



Qlestioxs regarding the treatment of diseases 

 cannot be answered in this column. 



). W. C. f^talt. — What causes the circle frequently 

 seen around the moon ? 



Ansirer. — The circle or •• halo" as it is generally 

 called, is formed by the refraction of the rays of 

 light as thev pass through minute crystals of ice, 

 which often occur in the upper regions of the atmos- 

 phere even in the hottest weather. The phenome- 

 non is somewhat analogous to that of the rainbow, 

 which is formed b^ the combined reflection and re- 

 fraction of the sun's rays by drops of falling rain. 

 The haloes are usually considered to foretell a 

 storm, and really indicate an excess of moisture in 

 the air. which is very likely to be precipitated as 

 rain or snow. 



II. G. C;.. Illinois. — Is it true that there is a para- 

 site which attaches itself to the liody of the eagle 

 while upon the ground, but dro)is otV as soon as the 

 bird soars into the air.' 



Answer. — No such parasite is known, and it is 

 onlv a popular superstition without foundation in 

 fact. 



W. J. A.. .S<. jMiiin. — Platinum melts at about 

 3600° ¥■ It is one of the most refractory of metals, 

 iind requires the heat of the oNy-hydrogen blowpipe 

 to fuse it. 



L. E. K., Conn. — What is the actual amount of 

 heat produced by the combustion of a pound of 

 carbon.' 



Answer. — One pound of carbon, (pure charcoalj 



in burning, develops sufficient heat to raise 14,576 

 poimds of water one degree in temperature or, if 

 such a thing were possible, one pound of water 

 14.576 degrees. In actual practice, however, only a 

 very small amount of this heat can be utilized. A 

 pound of hydrogen gas when burnt will evolve suffi- 

 cient beat to raise 61.592 pounds of water one 

 degree. 



B. G. A.. Colorciilo. — The tire-damp of the miners 

 is a mixtiu'e of various gaseous h\'drocarbons sj^on- 

 taneously evolved from tliebeds of coal. The choke- 

 damp and after-damp are carbonic dioxide. The 

 former accumulates in unventilated shafts and gal- 

 leries, and the latter is formed by the combustion of 

 the fire-damp, which is highlv explosive when 

 mixed Avith air and tlie cause of many terrible acci- 

 dents. 



J. II. I).. Boston. — Carbonic dioxide (CO-j) is 

 given off in the breath, and in tbeburningof wood 

 coal. oil. gas. etc. It is not poisonous, and onlv 

 causes harm bv displacing the oxvgeu of the air. 

 Carbonic oxide (CO), on the contrary, is distinctly 

 poisonous j?e/' se, and is responsible for much of the 

 injury caused by defective stoves and furnaces. 

 There are other organic substances given nfi in the 

 breath which are very injurious, and tend to vitiate 

 the air of a crowded rcjom without x'cntilation. 

 These gases, although heaxier than air. do not ac- 

 cimiulate near the Hoor. but. owing to the la\\" of 

 diffusion of gases. ai"e iniiformlv mixed with the air 

 of the room. 



Mr. W. J. Rolixett, F'lag Pond, Va., writes 

 that he will send speciinens of the minerals and fos- 

 sils of his locality to any one who will agree to pay 

 tor the packing and postage. This will not in any 

 case exceed one dollar. 



<>> 



LITERARV NOTES. 



Rocks anil SollSy h\ Horace Edward Stockbridge. 



Ph. I). John \Vilev .*c Sons. New York. Price 



$1.50. 



This is a most excellent manual upon the phys- 

 ical and chemical characteristics of the various 

 rocks, and the soils produced from them, with special 

 reference to their relations to agriculture. It is 

 written in a clear and easily understood style, and 

 can be read with profit by those interested either in 

 geolog\'. chcmistr\'. mineralog\'. or agricultiu'e. 



Eating for Strenyih. by M. L. Holbrook. M. I). 



Published by M. L. Ilolbrook & Co.. New York. 



This book describes the various forms of food, 

 with remarks upon those best adapted to healtii, 

 disease, and the difterent conditions of life, and also 

 contains a large number of selected recipes for pre- 

 paring different articles of food. Although the 

 work advocates vegetarianism to perhaps an unrea- 

 sonable extent, it contains many valuable hints and 

 much useful information. 



Solar Heo1. Gravitation, and Stin. Spots, by J. 11. 



Kedzie. S. C. Griggs & Co.. Chicogo. 



This volume is made up of speculations concern- 

 ing the origin and nature of the phenomena men- 

 tioned in the title, and advances some novel theo- 

 ries in regard to them. The author's views are very 

 nuich at variance with those commonly held by sci- 

 entists, and, we are afraid, are not susceptible to 

 proof. The work forms an additional cf)nti'ibution 

 to the literature of the subject, but is of an entirelv 

 speculative nature, and fails to increase our actual 

 knowledge. 



./oliii \t'ii/iK I'rctichcr. Ilougbtijn. Millliii ^V Co., 



Publishers. Boston. 



This powerful novel has been very widely re:ul 

 and discussed, and. treating as it does of important 

 religious and theological qmestions. is xvell worth 

 reading by. all thoughtful persons. It is greatly su- 

 perior to the axerage •■ religious iu)\'el." and is a 

 notable addition to a class of literatuiv which is. at 

 present, \er\- uuicb in \'Ogue. 



I). C. Heath & Co.. of this city, have published 

 Cjabriel Conipaynes' Leiinres on PeOaffoijij, (,$i.6o. ) 

 This work by the well known French scholar is 

 invaluable to every teacher, or to any one inter- 

 ested in the theory or practice of education. They 

 also publish a series of French and (iernian classics 

 for use as readers by pupils studying these lan- 

 guages, and will send catalogue and prices upon ap- 

 plication. 



novel, designed to support a most preposterous .sys- 

 tem of so-called medicine. It is as devoid of liter- 

 ary merit as the ideas it advances are free from any 

 suspicion of reason or common-sense. H. H. Carter 

 & Karrick. Publishers. Boston. 



The Physician's Visiting List for 1889. ''^ ''' hand, 

 and. as usual, every successive year produceii addi- 

 tions and improvements. For completeness, com- 

 pactness and simplicity of arrangement this list is 

 superior to anv other in the market. Published bv 

 P. Blakriton, Son & Co., Philadelphia. 



Pamphlets, etc.. received: Tlie Idea of (Jod, by 

 Paul Carus. Ph. D. Open Court Publishing Co.. 

 Chicago. The Osteology of Ilahia Melanacephala . 

 by R. W. Shufeldt. M.D., and the Bulletins of the 

 State Agricultural Experinieut Stations, of Massa- 

 t^husetts. Connecticut and Louisiana. 



London' Smoke. — Prof. Chandler Roberts esti- 

 mates the weight of the smoke-cloud which daily 

 bangs over London at about 50 tons of solid carbon, 

 and 250 tons of carbon in the form of hvdrocarbon 

 and carbonic-oxide gases. Calculated from the av- 

 erage result of tests made by the smoke abatement 

 committee, the value of coal wasted from domestic 

 grates reaches, upon the annual consumption of 

 5,000,000 people, to £22,57,500. The cost of cartage 

 on this wasted coal is calculated to be £268,750 ; 

 while the unnecessary passage of about 1,500,000 

 horses through the streets in drawing it adds verv 

 .seriously to the cost of street cleaning and repairing. 

 Then there is the cost of taking away the extra 

 ashes. £43,000 a year. .Summing it all up, the di- 

 rect and indirect cost of the wasted coal may be set 

 down at £2,6oo.txx3, plus the additional loss from 

 the damage done to property caused by the smoky 

 atmosphere, estimated by Mr. Chadwick at £2,000.- 

 000 — the whole amounting to £.\.(xxi.(x>o. or $23.- 

 000.000. 



A New Freezing Mixture. — Raoul Pictet. 

 whose name will forever be associated with that of 

 Cailletet in the liquefaction and solidification of hy- 

 drogen, the last of the gases to yield to cold and 

 pressure, has recently devised a new ice-machine of 

 great capacity, in which the sulphurous anhydride 

 hitherto used in his machines is replaced by a mix- 

 ture of sulphurous and carbonic anhydride alone. 

 The inventor explains this fact by the theory that 

 some kind of molecular reaction occurs between the 

 two gases w hen liquified, in consequence of which 

 the pressure exerted by the gas is nuich smaller 

 than we should expect to find, reasoning from anal- 

 og3' and previous experience. There is a world ot 

 new and wonderful phenomena in the chemistry and 

 physics of the liquified and solidified gases yet to be 

 worked out — just a.s there is in matter in thai exactiv 

 opposite condition, the ultragaseous. 



Hath, the Christian Scientist, is a most ridiculous 



.Vi,r.Mixi:.M IN Gl.vss. — Certain kinds of glass, it' 

 worked before the lamp, become dull and wrinkled 

 on the surface, and cannot be brought to the desired 

 form. On the conlrar\ . the glass made in the For- 

 est of Thuringen can be softened and hai'dened 

 again, can be blown and melted repeatedly without 

 any alteration in its appearance and in its texture. 

 The glass-manufacturers of the district maintain that 

 this property is due to the use of a peculiar sand, 

 found at Martinsroda, and that all other kinds of 

 quartz-sand, especially the pure sands of Branden- 

 burg, are unfit for use. Or. Otto Schott finds the 

 Martinsroda sand to contain 3.66 per cent of alumina. 

 Synthetic experiments confirmed the conclusion that 

 the especially workable quality of the Thuringen 

 glass is due to alumina. 



