Mar. 23, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



277 



A Musical Butterfly .^According to Donitz {Berliner 

 Entomolog. Zeitschrift), Dionychopus niveus possesses a 

 peculiar vocal organ on the upper side of the hind- 

 wings and the under side of the fore-wings when the 

 wings overlap. Each such organ is a brush consisting 

 of strong chitinous bristles, about one-eighth of an inch 

 long and scarcely half that breadth. The insect produces a 

 chirping sound by rubbing these brushes together. 

 In spiders the vocal apparatus lies generally in the 

 thorax, and consists of a membrane extended over a 

 hollow space, and probably caused to vibrate by friction 

 with the hind legs. 



Deaf-Mutism in Animals. — Le Naturaliste mentions 

 the case of a cow which had been purchased by a farmer 

 when a few weeks old, and kept for twelve years. She 

 never attended to any call, and seemed totally uncon- 

 scious of any noise. If alone in the stall and feeding- 

 time drew on she made the usual gestures of cattle when 

 they low, but no distinct sound could be heard. Her 

 sight was good, and nothing anomalous was observed in 

 her ears and larynx. It would have been interesting to 

 trace here heredity, but all her eight calves were sent 

 too early to the butcher. 



A Bifurcated Palm-Tree. — According to La Nature, 

 there '^s growing near Cayenne a palm-tree, Areca 

 oleracea, which presents in its growth a very singular 

 anomaly. At the height of about eleven yards from the 

 ground the trunk divides suddenly into two upright 

 parallel stems, exactly equal in height and in diameter, 

 and each surmounted by the usual crown of leaves. 

 Such a mode of growth would in most kinds of trees be 

 perfectly normal, but in the palm tribe it is a unique 

 anomaly. As crevices are forming at the junction of the 

 two stems it is proposed to remove this specimen to the 

 museum of the Jardin des Plantes, lest it should be de- 

 stroyed by a storm. 



Vipers in France. — About twenty years ago the re- 

 ward paid in France for the head of a viper was 5d., and 

 17,000 were destroyed yearly. The price is now re- 

 duced to 2^d., and the number annually killed is 10,000. 



Poisoning of Mussels. — M. Bardet {Nbtiv. Rem.) con- 

 cludes that the mussel is an indigestible food, which in 

 certain persons always, and in others occasionally, occa- 

 sions reflex phenomena by means of gastric irritation 

 without the presence of any especial poison. 



A MooN-FisH. — According to the Journal de Caen, the 

 zoological laboratory of the Faculty of Sciences has just 

 received a specimen of the moon-fish, Orthogonicus mola. 

 This fish frequents the high seas, chiefly the North 

 Atlantic and the entrance of the Channel. The weigh t^of 

 this specimen exceeds i5olbs., and measures across its 

 disc-shaped body 44in. The body is covered with scales 

 of a beautiful silvery white. The mouth is armed with 

 powerful bony jaws, and the two lateral triangular fins 

 give the fish a strange appearance. 



The Lily of the Valley Poisonous. — According to 

 La Science en Famille some goslings died within a couple 

 of hours after eating a quantity of the leaves of this 

 plant, which had been thrown away by some girls who 

 were making floral decorations. 



TECHNICAL EDUCATION.— III. 



Abridgment of Paper Read at the Society of Arts 

 BY Mr. Swire Smith on the Technical Education 

 Bill. 



{Concluded from page 255.) 



Briefly described, these secondary and technical 

 schools would contain the necessary class-rooms and 

 apparatus for the general instruction of youths intended 

 for the local industries, and so arranged as to be specially 

 available for evening classes, In connection with each 

 school, there would be appropriate rooms for ordinary 

 teaching, adequately furnished for science and art pur- 

 poses, with exhibition room for pictures, students' draw- 

 ings and art collections, a museum for technology, etc., 

 a chemical laboratory and lecture theatre. There would 

 also be a workshop for manual instruction, and for the 

 illustration of the principles of science and art as taught 

 in the class-rooms, while in some of the manufacturing 

 towns there would be rooms specially designed for the 

 practical application of science and art to industrial 

 purposes. 



In all technical school instruction, there should be a 

 minimum of practice with a maximum of theory, de- 

 pending largely upon the industrial facilities afforded to 

 students in each locality. The limitation of assistance 

 which the school may render to the workshop or factory 

 can only be ascertained by experience, and regulated by 

 the demands for artistic and scientific knowledge, which 

 may be made in consequence of the increased industrial 

 efficiency of competing nations. 



Having made suggestions for the establishment, where 

 necessary, of secondary technical schools by munici- 

 palities, and for municipal assistance to existing schools 

 and classes, I wish to describe more fully the position 

 and importance which I attach to technical night schools, 

 which I believe will ultimately become the sheet anchor 

 of the whole system of technical instruction in this 

 country. In every department of education in the more 

 advanced continental countries, the Technical Commis- 

 sioners were almost invariably drawn to the conclusion 

 that the buildings, methods, apparatus, and organisation 

 of instruction were better than our own. When, however 

 we came to the workshops and factories, and inspected 

 the machinery, and the artisans at work, we were gener- 

 ally able to come to the conclusion that in energy, 

 thoroughness and general efficiency, in other words, in 

 the factors of production which affect quantity, we were 

 ahead of our rivals. On the other hand, as I have 

 previously explained, in some of the factors which afiect 

 quality and attractiveness we were behind. In a word,- 

 I am of opinion that in the ordinary occupations con- 

 nected with the great industries of this country the 

 Englishman is as much in advance of the foreigner in 

 practice as he is behind in the theory of the lighter and 

 more showy occupations. We have great reason for 

 thankfulness that the main link in our industrial chain— 

 the link of practice— is still sound and strong. But, as 

 you know, it is the weak link which tests the strength of 

 the chain, and here it must be admitted that in the link 

 of theory (and in the giving to an article its showiness or 

 selling quality), we have to take a secondary place. Our 

 work is plainly marked out for us, and must be taken in 

 hand without a moment's delay, and I have no doubt 

 whatever that with day schools such as I have suggested, 

 and properly equipped night schools, this weak link will 

 be effectively strengthened. 



