104 
THE YOUNG SCIENTIST. 
colee generally do, and perhaps they be- 
came aware of this defect in their figures, 
for after a day or two a change appeared, 
and they assumed a more graceful form 
by swelling out in the middle, and then 
growing slender down to the bottom, very 
much like the pattern given by glass- 
blowers to little vases of flowers. 
It is very important to note the chang- 
ing appearance of animalcules, and where 
the same individuals can be observed 
from day to day, these will often be found 
considerable. It is probable that when 
such particulars are fully known, the 
number of species will be greatly re- 
duced, and the study of these organisms 
considerably simplified. I have called 
the animals just described Vaginicoloe , 
but the reader must be prepared to find 
similar bodies, inhabiting well-formed 
vases, either solitarily or in couples, the 
latter condition arising from the fission 
of one individual without a correspond- 
ing division of the abode. 
For a few weeks I continually met with 
groups living as I have described, in what 
may be called amorphous cells, which 
were often so nearly like the surrounding- 
water in refracting power, as to be dis- 
cerned with some difficulty. No trace 
could be seen of divisions into separate 
cells, but they all appeared to live hap- 
pily together in one room, and if one 
went up all went up, and if one went 
down all went down, as if their proceed- 
ings were regulated by a community of 
sensation or will. 
Another little curiosity was a transpa- 
rent cup upon a slender stem, which 
stood upright like a wine-glass, and sup- 
ported on its mouth a transparent globe. 
By removing a leaf which prevented the 
stalk being traced to its termination, it 
was found to be a Vorticella, and after 
two hours the globe was partially drawn 
in, and reduced in size. Why the crea- 
ture was engaged in blowing this bubble 
I do not know, and have not met with 
another instance of such conduct. 
Executing Criminals by Electricty. 
THE adoption of electricity as a mode 
of capital punishment has enthusi- 
astic advocates in Germany, as well as in 
France, as witness the following impos- 
ing description of a method proposed by 
a German writer: "In a dark room, 
draped with black, and which is lighted 
only by a single torch — the chamber of 
execution— there shall stand an iron im- 
age of Justice with her scales and sword. 
Stern Justice is popularly supposed to 
have no bowels, but this German goddess 
will carry a powerful electric battery in 
her inside ; and this battery will be con- 
nected with an arm-chair — the seat of 
death. In front of the chair shall stand 
the judge's tribunal, and only the judge, 
jury and other officers shall be present 
with the criminal during the ceremony of 
the execution. This will consist in the 
judge reading the story of the crime 
committed by the prisoner, who will be 
rigidly manacled to the aforesaid arm- 
chair, and when this is done, the j*idge 
will break his rod of office and toss it 
into one of the scale-pans of Justice, at 
the same time extinguishing the solitary 
torch. The descent of the imn will com- 
plete the electric circuit, and shock the 
victim into the next world."— Iron. 
Non-Poisonous Pharaoh's Serpents. 
IT is well known that the ordinary 
Pharaoh's serpents are exceedingly 
poisonous, not only in the form of pow- 
der, but from the vapors which they give 
off when burned. 
Dr. Puscher gives the following direc- 
tions for preparing Pharaoh's serpents, 
that are not attended with injurious 
fumes: Mix intimately two parts of bi- 
chromate of potassa, one part of nitrate 
of iDotassa, and three parts of white 
sugar. This mixture should be pressed 
in paper or tinfoil cones, and, if intended 
to be kept for any length of time, the 
paper should be varnished over with san- 
darac varnish. A small quantity of bal- 
sam of Peru may be added to perfume the 
mixture, so as to cause its combustion to 
be attended with a pleasant odor. The 
greenish-colored very porous mass, which 
assumes the serpent shape, is a mixture 
of carbonate of potassa, oxide of chrom- 
ium, carbon, and a small quantity of neu- 
tral chromate of potassa. The author 
states that this mass is an excellent sub- 
stance for polishing all kinds of metals, 
and may be, moreover, usefully employed 
as an absorbent for moisture, instead of 
chloride of calcium, since, without be- 
coming pasty, it absorbs, in twenty-four 
hours, about twenty per cent, of moisture. 
The mixture above specified should be 
kept in a dark place. "We have seen this 
mixture tested with very excellent results. 
A Curious Feat. 
PKOFESSOE COLLADON, of Geneva, 
recently described a curious and little- 
known experiment, showing the great re- 
sistance which the air, under certain 
circumstances, offers to the motion of 
bullets in guns. It resembles a feat that 
was sometimes performed by soldiers 
with the old Swiss carbines. M. Colla- 
don fully charged with compressed air 
the hollow iron breech of an air-gun, 
which served as a reservoir. The barrel 
being then screwed on, he introduced a 
