The Earth a Dynamo. 
The earth is a f^i-eat dynamo, revolvino" 
around its axis at a peripherical velocitj' 
at the equator of more than 1,0C0 miles 
nn hour. 
By virtue of the dynamic action of the 
earth, electricity is drawn into it. As the 
dynamic action is largely due to its ve- 
locity, and the velocity beino; greatest at 
the equator, the dynamic effect will he 
greatest at that point. Hence the great- 
est amount of electricity will be drawn 
to the earth at the equator and the least 
at the poles. 
Temperature, being the measure of 
molecular activity(as weight is the meas- 
ure of matter) the temperature will be 
highest at the equator because the molec- 
ular activity is greatest at that point; 
and so the Temperature will be less and 
less as we pass from the equator toward 
the north or south poles, because the pe- 
ripherical velocity grows less and the 
dynamic action is diminished. The phe- 
nomena we call sun rays are produced by 
the electric currents draw n to the earth 
by its dynamic action. 
Matter jier sf is imponderable and in- 
ert; it is endovTued with energy by the 
physical forces and is thus made electric- 
al. The ditterent elementary bodies are 
cndowned with energy in diflferent degrees 
hence they vary in their electric capacity. 
The phenomena of weight and specific 
gravity are caused by the dynamic ac- 
tion of the earth drawing electricity to it 
and consequently drawing all matter 
containing electricity, and as the matter 
is differently endowned with electric 
power, the dynamic effect in drawing it 
to the earth will vary accordingl j'. We 
thus find that the difference in the weight 
and the specific gravity of matter is 
caused by the dynamic action of the earth. 
Matter may be divided ; the end of phys- 
ical division is the molecule. Sir Will- 
iam Thompson, an expert in molecular 
physics, says "there are nineteen 
million million million molecules in a 
cubic centimeter of any gas." Fi'oni this 
we learn that the particles that compose 
the atmosphere are infinitely small. The 
dynamic action of the earth drawing the 
electric sun current through the atmos- 
phere forces these minute molecules into 
such a high state of activity that they 
exhibitthe phenomenon we call sunlight. 
Sunlight being pioduced by the mole- 
cular activity of our atmosphere is con- 
fined to it, and darkness prevails between 
our atmosphere and the sun. 
The electricity drawn into the earth 
by its dynamic action increases the molec- 
ular activity of the material and as the 
electric currents appi'oach the center 
oi the earth they focus and by their ag- 
gregated action the molecular activity of 
the earth is increased to that velocity 
that exhibits incandescence. Thus we 
rind that the heat of the earth is not 
))roduced nor is it sustained by the 
combination of fuel, such as coal, oil 
or natural gas, but is generated and 
sustained by the dynamic action of the 
earth. 
The greatest peripherical velocity and 
the greatest dynamic action being at 
the equator, the greatest amount of 
incandescent matter will be found be- 
neath the torrid zone and for this 
reason volcanic action will be confined 
to that locality. 
The normal path of energy is from 
the higher to the lower degree of ac- 
tivity, hence the electiicity drawn to 
the earth by its dynamic action passes 
from the higher peripherical velocity 
to the lower velocity near the axis and 
from thence out at or near the North 
Pole and from there to the North Star, 
thus producing the Northern lights and 
an arctic open polar sea, for the electric 
currrent passing out at the Aorth Pole 
will put the watpr into such a high 
state of activity as will prevent its 
freezing, notwithstanding the low pe- 
lipherical velocity of the earth at that 
locality.— t/ffcofc Eeese, m Philadelpliia 
Inquirer. 
Cocoons. 
By R. R. Rowley, ('urryville, Mo. 
To the student of Entomology there 
is no time during the j'ear that he 
may not find something interesting in 
his line of inquiry. 
The Lepidopterist is on the alert as soon 
as the icy fetters of winter are broken 
and the first faint odor of blossoms is 
abroad on the breeze. Patiently he 
watches through the warm houis of 
midday beneath the blooming shad bush 
for a clear-wing Sphinx. 
In May his field of observation grows 
larger and he chases the ' Red Admiral'" 
and the "Swallow tail'' from flower to 
flower. Through the summei''s sultry 
heat he revels in a paradise of winged 
beauties and as autumn fades into win- 
ter he may yet take the "Doghead" the 
Claudia and the "Painted lady" on the 
fast browning clover heads. Last of 
all, perhaps, the .Nicippe about its 
food plant (Cassia) and the Vanessas 
and Graptas at sunny places in the 
woods. 
When, the blasts of winter have 
stripped the trees of their leaves and 
the flowers are no more, must the Lep- 
idopterist retire to his warm study to 
await the advent of spring and the 
reanimation of nature? The beauty of 
the world has vanished but there are 
treasures suspended from the naked 
twigs of the Willow and the Apple and 
the collector goes forth with his box 
to gather in his stock of cocoons. 
Fortunate he is, indeed, if he lives 
near a sassafras thicket, for the pen- 
dent cocoons of Promethea, wrapped in 
a brown leaf and securely fastened to 
the twig, become conspicuous objects 
among the leafless branches. 
We have often found as many as five 
on the same small bush. 
It is rare to find cocoons of any of the 
large moths attaclied to the larger trees 
and, in fact, the experienced larva hunt- 
er hardly ever, expects to find a "worm" 
on the great maple or the giant oak. 
So, in looking for caterpillars or cocoons 
be sure to examine closely all the bush- 
es and sprouts. In the East, I romethea 
feeds on wild cherry but not so in 
Missouri. Here it has selected sassafi-as 
and confines itself to that alone. 
Perhaps, even more conspicuous than 
Fromethea are the larger cocoons of 
Polyphemvs, wrapped in leaves and 
suspended from the twigs of soft-maple. 
The larva of this moth sometimes 
fails to fasten his silken house to the 
branch and it falls with the leaves in 
autumn. 
Polyphemvs is more of a general feed- 
er than Promethea and its cocoons are 
found attached to the branches of oak, 
sugar tree, chestiuit, hazel, rose bush, 
and occasionallj' walnut, but its choice 
of food plants seems to be soft-maple, 
chestnut and oak ; however, as the dead 
leaves of the last do not fall, till the eo- 
coon has given its imago in the spring, 
it offers the best collecting in- 
ducements. 
The most general feedei of all the larger 
Bombycids is the Cecropia with whose 
great brown cocoon every body is famil- 
iar. Unlike Promethea and Polyphemus 
this moth fastens its pupal case about 
a branch or even to the body of the tree, 
itself, and, in spite of its great size, it is 
less conspicuous than the cocoon of Poly- 
phemus or Promethea. 
In looking for this insect, the most sat- 
isfactory results come from the exami- 
nation of plum, apple, cherry, soft-maple 
willow and sassafras, on all of which the 
larva feeds. 
A hazel thicket is sure to yield a few 
cocoons and the larva sometimes feeds 
on walnut, hickory, aspen, button bush 
fever wort, wild cheery and curiant. 
On all of the above plants except the 
last named, (currant) we have found the 
larva feeding. In confinement it will 
doubtless feed on many other things. 
The last and most dt sirable of thegreat 
silk worms is ihe beautiful Luna whose 
larval life is spent on the walnut and 
hickory but as the cocoon is never fast- 
ened to the twig and falls with the leaves 
in October, the search for this silken 
treasure is usually a fruitless one. 
A thrifty tree in an open space may be 
selected and a close search, beneath, 
among the dry leaves may be made but if 
the grass be long, the labor is in vain. 
In the Eastern cities the cocoons of 
Cynthia Av^ toxm A attached to the fallen 
leaf stalk of the ailanthus tree. 
The rare ^ivguli/era on the tulip tree, 
the still rarer Columbia in the north on 
the larch. 
West of the Rocky Mountains the 
Gloveri takes the place of Cecropia and 
in California the Ccauothi is a common 
moth. 
The best time to search for cocoons is 
in early winter as great numbers of the 
more exposed ones are destroyed by birds 
