FEMALE BAROMETERS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1150, 5 June 1880, Page 3

FEMALE BAROMETERS.

Puifes-or M'Gregor, a New York (i scientist,” has lately been considering the question of barometers, having been induced to take that study by the untrustworthiness of several instruments with which he was acquainted. He got on the right track quite by accident. His attention was attracted to Hie use of girls for scientific purposes by overhearing a young lady remark that “ her tresses would not keep primped in damp weather and he immediately began a series of experiments, stretching, wo »r« told of over a period of 11 months, and involving the employment of a great many girls. The first was a failure. She was redhaired, of the ordinary female pattern, and still in her teens ; hut the weather had no influence on the crimpklity—the term is said to be strictly scientific—of her tresses. It was plain that the instruments to be studied would have to be of a more varied nature, and he. therefore secured for purples of in-’

vestigation three dozen orphan girls of from 12 to 1G years of age, and of assorted colors in point of hair. Twelve of these were black-haired, twelve were brown-haired, and twelve were redhaired. By a long series of careful experiments, lie proved that on the approach of wot weather (he tresses of the brown-haired girls without exception, became limp and straight; that a like effect was produced upon the tresses of ton of the black-haired girls ; while the red-haired girls were not a particle influenced either by the humidity or the dryness of the atmosphere. From this it appeared that (he tresses of a brown-haired girl were an infallible indicator of the approach Of wet tvoather. But the most singular discovery of all was made, our informant states, in regard to the red-haired girds. They proved to be peculiarly susceptible to the influence of electricty. When a thunderstorm is brewing, their tresses become then stiff and bristling ; and in three instarices, the Professor tried to smooth them down; he received a violent shock in the region of the ear. In each case the girl is said to have been good looking, and about twenty years old, and the shock left a tingling sensation in the ear for several minutes afterwards. The purchase and employment of these infallible bavometei-s are warmly recommended. The first cost of a girl is, of course, rather more than that of a barometer, and it is expensive to keep her in order ; but this is of no consequence when compared with her value as a weather indicator.