404 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



colors of stars as the effect of the stellar atmosphere whicli absorbs dif- 

 ferent portions of light, originally cjf the same quality. 



On the Temperature of the Sexes. 



Dr. Davy, in a communication to the British association for the advance- 

 ment of science, stated that by recent observation he found the tempera- 

 ture of the body in tlie case of men varied between 99 and d9h^ that of 

 women between 97| and 98*^. The average showed the relative tempera- 

 ture of males and females v/as as 1058 to 1013. 



Uniform System of Weights and Measures. 



The British Association at their last meeting adopted unanimously the 

 report of a committee in favor of adopting the metric system of France; 

 and recommending that in scientific communications, and in books of edu- 

 cation all statements of weights and measures be accompanied by their 

 equivalents in the French system and that all scales of temperature be 

 divided according to the Centigrade as well as Farenheit graduation. 



China Grass. 



The experiments with the fibre of this species of nettle-weed in France, 

 already reported to this Association; are attracting great attention in that 

 country. It is now declared without reservation that none of the qualities 

 of cotton are wanting. The Minister of the Interior is furnishing seed, 

 obtained from China, to Agriculturists, and the speculation will assume 

 gigantic proportions. 



This fibre had previously been used by manufacturers in our own coun- 

 try; but for some reasons unknown to us its use was not approved. Pos- 

 sibly new methods of preparation may have obviated the objections found 

 to it in Americiin Factories. 



Casualties in 'British Coal Mines. 



The following is a summary of the accidental deaths in coal mines of 

 Great Britain for 1863: 



By explosion of fire damp 163 



^ By falls of roof and coals &c., 407 



By accidents in shafts 147 



By miscellaneous accidents I'JO 



Total .». 907 



Machine for Sawing Ship Timber. 



This ingenious arrangement of saws was explained by the inventor, Mr. 

 Vance, who was introduced by Mr. Flury. The audience on learning that 

 Mr. Vance had lost an arm in the service of his country, received him with 

 great favor and listened with marked attention to his minute description of 

 his apparatus. Its novelty consists in tlie metliotl of changing the position of 

 the saws even while running, so as to cut the timber which is stationary to 

 the best advontagc. Tiuis the enormous waste by chopping is saved, and 

 the whole timber is utilized. 



