A TEN-INCH RAIL WA V. 59 



brous, bark-like material was found between the ribs, filling the place of the ani- 

 mals stomach; when carefully separated, it proved to be a crushed mass of herbs 

 and grasses, similar to those which still grow in the vicinity. In the same bed of 

 miry clay a multitude of small fresh water and land shells were observed and col- 

 lected, which were kindly determined by Dr. F. Stein, as follows : 



I. Pisidium, closely resembling P. abditum Halderman. 2. Valvata tricar- 

 inata^dcj. 3. /^/z^fa'/d', resembhng V. striata. 4. Planorbis parvus '^^z.y . 



The shell bearing animals prevail all over the States of Illinois, Indiana and 

 parts of Michigan, and show conclusively that however other conditions may dif- 

 fer, that the animal and vegetable life, and consequently climate, are the same 

 now as when this mastodon sunk in his grave of mire and clay. — Clinton (IVis.) 

 Herald. 



A TEN-INCH RAILWAY. 



One of the most curious railways in the world is the ten-inch gauge road run- 

 ning from North Billerica, Massachusetts, to Bedford. It was at first hooted at by 

 the people, but the road was completed, making a length of about eight and a 

 half miles. There are eleven bridges on the road, one of which is over 100 feet 

 long. The rails weigh 25 pounds to the yard. The road is well built and equip- 

 ped — one grade is 155 feet. The cars and engines will at first sight create won- 

 der and admiration. Their perfect proportions give them a handsome appearance. 

 They are constructed very near the ground, giving them great advantages of 

 safety. The cars have an aisle with one seat on each side, in the same manner 

 as our ordinary cars have two seats. The length of the cars allows thrity seats, 

 each person having a seat to himself. The cars are supplied with closets, water 

 tank, and heated by steam, and have all the modern improvements. They weigh 

 but four and a half tons, ordinary cars weighing on a average eighteen tons. 

 The trains run at the rate of twenty miles an hour, with perfect safety. The 

 engine is placed behind the tender, giving greater adhesion to the track. They 

 weigh eight tons, and draw two passenger and two baggage cars. The cost of 

 the road was about $4,500 per mile. 



PROTOPLASM— NOT AN ULTIMATE SUBSTANCE. 



H. J. Reinke [Botan. Zeitung, 38, No. 48) has examined protoplasm ob- 

 tained from yEthalium septicuffi, and discovered in it the following proximate con- 

 stituents : Plastin (an insoluble albuminoid resembling the fibrins), vitelHn, myosin 

 pepton, peptonoid, pepsin, nuclein, lecithin, guanin, sarcin, xanthin, ammonium 

 carbonate, paracholesterin, traces of cholesterin, ^Ethalium resin, a yellow pig- 

 ment, glycogen, sugar (non-reductive), oleic, stearic, palmitic, and traces of 

 butyric acids, carbonic acid, fatty glycerides and paracholesterides, calcium stear- 

 ate, palmitate, oleate, lactate, oxalate, acetate, formiate, phosphate, carbonate. 



