secures its privacy. But the road runner, be¬ 
tween which and the tarantula a deadly en¬ 
mity exists, is the master, as an incident 
which we are about to relate will show. 
Professor Agassiz, during his recent visit 
here, exhibited a special desire to be supplied 
with as many specimens as possible of the 
road runner, of the tarantula, and of the tar¬ 
antula killer. 
e are not advised as to whether he was 
supplied with live specimens of the road-run¬ 
ner bird. It is about the size of a pheasant ; 
its plumage is not unlike that of the pheasant 
Carbon Black is to be manufactured from 
the gas wells of Western New York, Penn¬ 
sylvania and Oluo—at least, a patent has 
been issued for a process by which it is said 
this may be economically done. 
Artificial Skins for Sa usages are manufac¬ 
tured in Wurtcmberg, which are sold much 
cheaper than natural ones, arc not subject to 
fermentation, and are distinguished for their 
Cleanliness, They are made of the thickness 
of ordinary writing paper, and sent to any 
address through the post-oftlco. 
Preserving Eggs .—A Pa risian paper recom¬ 
mends the following method for preserving 
eggs Dissolve four ounces of beeswax in 
eight ounces of warm olive oil; in this put 
the tip of the finger and anoint the egg all 
round. Ihe oil will immediately be absorbed 
by the shell and the pores Ailed up by the 
wax. If kept in a cool place, the eggs, after 
two years, will be as good as if fresh laid." 
FUR-BEARING ANIMALS-XIII. 
PENNANT’S MARTEN, OR FISHER 
Mussela Canadensis SCHREBER. 
SCIENTIFIC TESTS OF PRAYER. 
A good deal of discussion has transpired in 
scientific, secular and religious journals upon 
this sublect in consequence of Prof, Tyndall’s 
challenge tor a test of prayer. Discussing 
( his subject, a correspondent of the American 
Artisan makes the follow ingstatement which 
he says *‘ clearly demonst rates the power of 
prayer and the interventtou of the supernatu 
teen. Its head looks something like that, of 
a dog; it is broad, round, compact; nose, 
acute ; upper canine teeth, long; cars, oblique 
and far apart; body, long and formed tor 
agility and strength ; feet, robust, the toes on 
all of them are connected by a short, hairy 
web; tail, long and bushy, diminishing ton 
point at the extremity; it lias -a strong-, 
musky odor. It is covered with a short, flue 
down next the ekin, mixed with longer, 
evener hairs, short on the head but increas¬ 
ing in length towards the tail. Fur on the 
head and shoulders has a horny appearance ; 
the back Is much darker ; nose, feet and tail, 
dark brown. 
This species, never very plentiful, is rapidly 
becoming extinct in the older regions, On 
rare occasions, dogs that are out in pursuit 
of coons, run a-foul of a Fisher. Audubon 
. ives the following account of one the hounds 
had treed : 
I he animal not only became thoroughly 
frightened but seemed furious. He leaped 
VITALITY OF ACORNS, 
The tenacity of life in seeds, and their pow¬ 
er of resisting decay under what may be con¬ 
sidered unfavorable circumstances, has long 
been known, and was thoroughly proved by 
the germination of a peculiar variety of 
wheat, found by Belzont in the wrappings 
of a mummy which had been placed in the 
Catacombs of Egypt at least 2,000 years before 
bo opened it. My present communication, 
therefore, does not advance anything new-, 
but merely presents facts coming under tny 
own observation illustrative of that tenacity. 
About the year 1830, a gentleman in Scot¬ 
land succeeded to an estate which had been 
in his family over 300 years. On this estate 
t here was a large marsh or hog co vering over 
100 acres, on which his predecessors had una- 
vailingly expended large sums, in the hope 
of draining it, and thus reclaiming the land 
for agricultural purposes. The bog was in 
the form of a basin, surrounded by hilly or 
rising ground of the hight of about 30 feet. 
From one part of this rising ground, there 
was a rapid descent, after passing the hill, 
and my friend was advised to cub a drain 
through the hill at this particular point, and 
thus, perhaps, get below the bottom of the 
marsh. This was done at* considerable ex¬ 
pense, the drain being some 40 feet deep, and 
rather resembling the bed of a river, than a 
drain for agricultural purposes. 
The experiment was a perfect success, as 
the drain set into sandy soil below the level 
of the bottom of the bog and completely 
drained it, But the peculiar feature of the 
case, which I wish to present to your notice, 
is tli ) fact that on the surface of the soil ex¬ 
cavated from this drain, and which must of 
oourse have formed the bottom of the 31 leet 
of rising ground by which the bog was sur¬ 
rounded, is that a quantity of Black Oak 
HOW TO REPRODUCE PINE FORESTS. 
forests, as they never sprout again under 
ordinary circumstances, leads us to inquire 
if there is no practical way of avoiding this 
coining scarcity. We. are' already told that 
within Ave years, Williamsport, the great 
Pennsylvania lumber market, will as such, he 
uo more. The pine forests wili all have been 
cut down and sawed mto lumber. It has 
occurred to me that a fact which accidentally 
came to my notice might be of use to you. 
A party of hunters from Morristown, while 
on an excursion to Pike Co., Pa., a few weeks 
S o, were telling me the history of their ex- 
jits, and among other things' one of them, 
a worker in wood, mentioned the fact that iu 
all instances where pine forests had been cut 
down and tilledj If but once, a new growth 
of pines immediately sprang up, and in the 
ordinary course of time forests of pine, equal 
to the old original growth covered the ground. 
Now, if the pine forests can all be renewed 
by once plowing, it seems to me a thing 
which should be generally known and recoin 
mended. If you desire, l can ascertain the 
names of parties In Pike Co., who personally 
will vouch for these facts.— Morristown, 
Our own observations on pine lands con¬ 
firm this statement. Do any of our readers 
know to the contrary ? 
THE TARANTULA KILLER 
d E the following account of tl 
v- -- —; wuiu -gVj UCU., 
"Hrl, which will be found exceedingly in¬ 
teresting j—The architectural ingenuity, or 
J . e f o ei hits, of the tarantula is a fact long 
lamuiar to naturalists. This insect has an ex¬ 
ceptional development of the instinct which 
^tracts a,] matures which are not protect- 
, A nature with a warmth-engendering 
"Jr?. ude to Properly house themselves. The 
details of the tarantula’s dwelling, down even 
tne matchless mechanism of the doors of 
, u tice, have excited the wonder of all in- 
ensted in natural history. The most elaho- 
hiirn mvC 1 n J V ous locks and M*g<* of vaunted 
nan skfilare distanced by this venomous 
ct in the construction of the door which 
INFORMATION IN BRIEF. 
Kangaroo Leather .—Seven thousand kan¬ 
garoo hides were recently brought to San 
Francisco and manufactured into a delicate, 
soft leather, said to be less brittle and per¬ 
meable to water than calfskin. 
Artificial Leather is made in accordance 
with an English patent by a mixture of one 
part of glycerine to three of glue. If flexi¬ 
bility is desired, boiled linseed oil is added ; 
if elasticity, a solution of caoutchouc. The 
mass is placed on a fabric and pressed, then 
washed with a solution of chrome alum. 
KILLING SNAKES, 
A sensible correspondent of the Maine 
Farmer says he made up his mind years ago 
that evory snake that is killed by the farmer 
is money out of the pocket of the snake kill¬ 
er ■ for he firmly believes that when the snake 
is looked upon in its true light iu relation to 
the farmer, the conclusion will be that that 
individual has but few better friends than the 
despised snake. 
