550 KANSAS CITY REVIEW OF SCIENCE. 



ganism according to certain methods, into such growths as shall be best suited to 

 the external conditions under which the animal lives. 



The theological deductions from such a scientific conclusion follow immedi- 

 ately. There must be a first cause. The immaterial cause operative . in nature 

 must act constantly, not periodically. The world was not created in some begin- 

 ning, and set running like a clock. Sustaining power is imminent in the world. 

 This view is maintained by eminent authorities in science and philosophy. The 

 cause of the world is possessed of attributes co extensive with the origination and 

 maintenance of the visible universe. This to us means a body of infinite attri- 

 butes. But the metaphysical infinity of the first cause is reflected in our neces- 

 sary intuition of the infinite. 



Thus evolution is a world embracing plan expressive of mind. It lifts us to 

 the highest possible apprehension of the wisdom and power and unity of the Su- 

 preme being, and brings into the most intimate relations with the Father of All 

 in all the phenomena of the natural world, and all the experiences of our daily 

 lives. — Boston Journal of Chemistry. 



] 

 ] VELOCITY OF PROJECTILES. 



l' 

 It is most unfortunate that none of the ships at Alexandria are armed with 



guns of the new type. If there were in the fleet even a few of the new 8-inch or 

 9 inch guns, the ships possessing them could lie completely out of danger from 

 the Aboukir forts, and destroy them by a long range fire without giving them a 

 chance. Something of this sort actually happened in the Chili and Peruvian war. 

 A single new 8-inch Armstrong gun was placed on board a common steamer call- 

 ed a " pig-boat," and bombarded at its leisure the Peruvian forts on shore. The 

 Peruvians sent out a gunboat to come to closer quarters with its ridiculous antago- 

 nist. Three shots from the 8-inch Armstrong were, however, sufficient to dispose 

 of the gunboat. The first was short, the second over, the third got the right 

 range, so that the shell fell on deck. The gunboat literally disappeared in a 

 moment, being blown up by the one shell which struck her. Such is the advan- 

 tage of having guns which impart a very high velocity to their projectiles. All 

 the new English guns give muzzle velocities of about 2,000 feet per second, and 

 this is 400 feet more than that of the 80-ton gun, 640 feet more than the Egyp- 

 tian lo-inch gun, and 580 feet more than the 9-inch. Though we place the veloc- 

 ity of the new type guns at 2,000 feet, most of them give a velocity considerably 

 higher. For instance, the 12-inch 43-ton gun has already given a velocity of 

 2, 178 feet. 



