yo The West Avierican Scie?itist. 



islands and the flat bridges should reach from the terrace of one 

 island to that of another, so the ways on them would also be all 

 at the same level. 



For gulfs and inlets of the ocean the islands are to be yet more 

 securely fastened to the bottom and so the number of the anchors 

 to be used must be increased. It would be also advisable to pro- 

 tect the rafts from the force of the waves by means of small islands 

 placed at some distance so as to form a line of banks or gulf- 

 breakers; these small rafts could be constructed in a triangular 

 shape, with one of the points directed sea- ward; naturally the e 

 rafts should also be fastened very securely by mians of anchors. 



Of course, if large sheets of water should be covered with islands, 

 broad canals must be left open for navigation. 



After many years the raits will become so far decayed that they 

 cannot bear any longer the weight of the earth- layers; in this 

 case new ones of several layers should be placed lender the old 

 ones; the foundation will then last for almost any length of lime. 



We do not doubt but the idea can be carried out on a large 

 scale; the consequences would be of enormous advantage to agri- 

 culture and commerce. The many and large North American 

 lakes, gulfs and inlets would be very much suited to the purpose 

 Nature itself in constructing the floating islands in large rivers as 

 for instance in the Mississippi, of wrecks, vegetable matter, etc., 

 shows the way in which extensive sheets of water should be made 

 profitable to men. 



We think it to be necessary that the goverment takes the mat- 

 ter in hand in ordering to try it on a small scale. We hope also 

 these lines may not be overlooked by influential authorities, able 

 to carry out themselves what they think useful and important. 



MiDDLEBURG, HOLLAND, Feb., 1888. M. Buysmau. 



The model of an earthquake is a unique piece of apparatus that 

 has been constructed by a Tokio seismologist, patiently and 

 laboriously following out the accurate records of a modern seis- 

 mograph. Prof. Sekiya has succeeded in shaping a long coil of 

 copper wire so as to represent, with the utmost precision, the in- 

 tricate path described by a shaken spot of the earth's surface. 

 The model magnifies fifty times the ground's absolute motion 

 during seventy-two seconds, and resembles a ball of twine un- 

 wound and thrown down in a confused heap. Numbered tags 

 show the progress of the shock for each second of time. 



A Belgian entomologist has produced the numerous color 

 varieties of ceriain coleoptera by chemical means, though he does 

 not claim that his process is that of nature. Alkalies and acids 

 give colors varying from brown through red to yellow, and calcic 

 chloride and heat yield all the tints from green to violet, 



