Science, Art, and Manufacture.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1588, 26 June 1874, Page 265

Science, Art, and Manufacture.

A New Theory Regarding Comets. —A paper was read before the HackLey Scientific Association recently by Mr J. A. Reeves, advancing an entirely new theory with regard to comets. By the use of diagrams, he showed that the part of the comet termed the tail being always in a direction from the sun. and therefore as often in advance as behind the nucleus, is not really a tail. That as comets are transparent, and all matter is known to be either solid, liquid, or gaseous, comets must be the latter, for solids and liquids are opaque. That the only known power by which this gaseous matter can be held together, is gravity, which must necessarily have a centre, and every part of the body being free to move resolves itself into a sphere, the centre of which is in many cases exceedingly dense, gradually attenuated towards the'circumference. That the rays of the sun are refracted in their passage through this spherical comet, thus illuminating the portion beyond the centre or nuoleus, which illumination forms the tail. Mr Beeves then explained how all the various and peculiar phenomena of comets, such as their shapes, colours, horns, nuclei, as well as their being with and without tails, &c, arise ; and they are entirely in accordance with the universal laws of nature.

A New Process of Meat-Preserving. —The • Southern Cross says : —We direct attentipn to a new recipe for meat preserving, by the entire carcase, which is contained in a letter sent us by Mr Dolmage. The author of the recipe, we are informed by our correspondent, who was furnished with the document, is ready to give a bonus of £3OO to anyone who can send to England a carcase in good preservation, and still fresh and sound. Some of our meat preservers may find it worth their while to try the experiment j or, at least, to correspond with the gentleman whose address we feive below ; and, therefore, give prominence to the project. Mr Dolmage writes :—" Sir, —As a great deal of attention is at present turning towards the new colonial industry, meat preserving, I send you a recipe given to me by a gentleman in England last year; at the same lime he told me that he would give a bonus of £3OO if one whole carcase Was sent home prepared by his receipt. Should &riy of your'readers wish to correspond with him, bis address is E. C. Monckton, Esq,, Messrs Coutts and Co., Strand, London. The recipe is as follows: —' Clean the carcase well, prepare the chamber and make it airtight by caulking ; generate carbonic acid gas by means of a soda-water gas generator with chalk and acid ; the gas being heavier than the air sinks to the bottom. When the chamber is full of it, it will extinguish a lighted candle. Then throw in the meat till full, and close the chamber:. Every second #nd third day inject more' gas by pipes below. loiig as the-'gas lasts the meat will be fresh.'' From • what Mr Monckton said, the intention was to have special compartments an board vessels, gnd the carcases to be put in whole. Hoping it may give a hint to those in that business, — I am, &c., J. C. POLMAGE— Auckland, May 25, 1874," A Rarity, —A sulphur-bottom whale, seventy feet long, was recently cast ashore near Picton. The sulphur -bettom is a species of whale never caught by the whalers now a-days, partly on account of the small quantity of oil it yields, but principally because of the danger attending its Capture on account of the extraordinary rapidity with which the sulphur-bottom moves through the water when struck. The animal is a desideratum much sought after, by naturalists, and as many inquiries'in regard to this species of whale have been received from the British Museum, where no speoimen of it is to be found, Dr Hector took immediate steps to secure the skeleton, which is now stored at Picton,

Tenacity of Reptile Life.—An extraordinary instance of vitality is thus related by a correspondent of the Press: —As Messrs F. Houghton, of Pigeon Bay, arid Win. Masefield, of Gough's Bay, were on a shooting excursion at Lake Forsyth on Tuesday, April 14th ult., their attention was attracted by a fine specimen of the green lizard, which was secured by Mr Houghton and placed in a common tin match-box, with the intention of preserving it in spirits. On his arrival at home the box was temporarily laid aside, and afterwards forgotten until Thursday last, the lUh inst., when on its being opened, instead of a shrivelled skin being found, not only was the original animal alive and well, but also two young ones which it had produced during its. two months' imprisonment, all of which appear at present as strong and healthy as though they had never been in confiement. It is Mr Houghton's intention to forward both animals and box to Dr Haast by first opportunity. A New Marking Ink. Professor Bbttgen gives the following formula of an ink for marking linen, &c, that he maintains to,be,entirely unaffected by chloride.of lime, cyanide of potassium, caustic potash, or acids. Digest coarsely-powdered cashewniits, for some time, at a moderate temperature, in a closed flank, with petroleum naphtha; then allow the exceedingly volatile solvent to evaporate, After marking articles with the resulting syrupy liquid, moisten the place with aqua ammonia or lime water, and the marks 'will instantly' assume a, deep, permanent black color."

Ditoning by Steam Power.—ln North Germany the reclamation of the extensive low; lands, that have heretofore remained uncultivated for lack of drainage, is now proceeding with vigor under the auspices of a company employing a large capital and effective steam ditching machines.. Each maQhine cuts a canal' 20 feet wide and 6 feet fleep,' and from 100 to 120 feet in length, every 10 hours, -The peat is delivered on the surface of the ground alongside the canal, where it is dried, cut into bricks, and sent to market. It is an excellent fuel. In Holland and Friesland there are 1,000 square miles of this bog land now worthless, which will be rendered habitable and profitable as fast' as the canals are cut, to say nothing of the immense quanties of fuel that will be obtained by the ditching operation.

A BIRD ORCHESTRA. The Swiss Times says:—An extraordinary public entertainment has been produced in Lima, Peru, by an Italian named Contarini, who proposes to bring his exhibition to Europe. He has taught and trained by dint of great patience and perseverance, an opera company, made up of 30 parrots and parroquets, ■ who perform two of Bellini's operas, " Norma," and " Sonnambula," on a miniature stage, with full chorus recitative. The director and manager accompanies the artists on a piano-harmonium, and the perfection with which each bird sings his part and the excellence of the chorus are prodigious. The debut of his lyrico-ornitho-logical company in " Norma" was attended by the wealth and fashion of Lima. When "the. parroquet that sung the contralto had finished the allegro to the " Salutation to the Moon," such was the enthusiasm, the shouting, and the applause at hearing a bird Sing the." Casta Diva," that the bird company affrighted, took flight, and sought refuge among the side scenes. This interrupted the performance for fully a quarter of an hour, and Signor Contarini had to tranquilise the "artists" by giving them bread soaked in wine. Thenceforth the expressions of approbation were moderated, in order not to spoil the play. It appears that the bird artists have now become accustomed to the applause. The correctness and propriety with which they give certain parts of the opera are wonderful. The prime tenore possesses all the airs and graces of the school of Mario, and the Ladies of Lima named the prima donna Patti. ENGLISH PARLIAMENTS. There is a strong traditional element in English Parliaments, which has outlived many Reform, Bills, and will survive the bolder ideas of our time. The steady channels in which the national life flows on are curiously illustrated in a passage which I find in one of our popular magazines. It will surprise many readers to be told that, " though upwards of 230 years have elapsed since the opening of the famous Long Parliament, yet many of its original members have been -represented by direct lineal descendants at every subsequent ceremonial of the kind, not unf requently returned by the same places for which their ancestors were elected," Examples are givert from the muster roll pf the new House of Commons. Long Parliament, 1640. Ashton (Assheton), Ralph, sat for Clitheroe. Biddulph, Michael, sat for Lichfield. Edwards, Richard, sat for Christchurch. Knightley, Richard, sat for Northampton. Lloyd, Walter, sat for Cardiganshire." JNoel, Hon. Baptist, sat tor JKUtiana. Onslow, Sir R., sat for Surrey. -New Parliament, 1874. Assheton, Ralph, sits for Clitheroe. Biddulph, Michael, sits for Herefordshire. Edwards, Richard, sits for Weymouth. Knightley, Sir R., sits for South Northamptonshire. Lloyd, Sir T., sits for Cardigan. Noel, Hon. Gerard, sits for Rutland. Onslow, Denzil, sits for Guilford. It is justly observed that such instances, amounting altogether to from 40 to 50, illustrate th,e hereditary influence of the gentry in largely determining the representation in their respective localities, notwithstanding the more popular character of the constituencies, and the establishment of secret voting.