Scientific.

Waikato Times, Volume xxvi, Issue 2458, 8 May 1886, Page 2 (Supplement)

Scientific.

MITAL BLIKPERS FOR RAILWAYS. A PROSPECT of extensive employment j for rolling 1 mills is held out by the incrating feeling in favour of tht uho of metal •leepew on railways. The London and North-Wontern Railway Company have decided upon substituting? iron for wood nleepeni upon the whole of their nystem, And they nre now pushing on the manufacture At Crewe. For the pretcnt the motnl sleepers wilf be laid on the new wny only; the replacements will take effeot by degrees.

the ant's claim to reason*. When ono watches one of these great communities of nnts living together in tho utmost harmony, feeding their young, making roads, excavating tunnels, on* strnoting buildings, and in some instances, indeed, keeping slaves, I think we can hardly deny thorn some claim* to reason, I have myself come to tho conclusion th-it tho difference between their mind and ours is not one of absolute nature, but is u question of degree.—Sir John Lubbook.

EXPEDITION TO XKW GUINEA. A scientific expedition to German Now Guinea is being organised at Hambarg, and is nearly ready for a start. Dr. Schraber, ono of tho staff of the Observatory, is to be the commander, and it is reported in his favour thHt ho his already done scientific work in th» Southern Hemisphere. A stay of three years is contemplated, and a party has been sent in advance with instructions to make necessary preparations. An the expedition is organised by an Association, it may be assumed that the object is comnufoyi^asiweU as scientific.—Age.

GLOWIWG TWILIGHT EXPLAINED. The glowing twilights aro now explained by the supposition that the earth, and "possibly the whole or a largo portion of the solar system, has, in the course of its journey in space passed through a region unusually rich is meteoric dust.

PAPER FOR BOOTS. The " Journal of tho Society of Arts" describes a plan for rendering pnper as toutrh ns wood or leather, which has been recently introduced on the Continent; it consists in mixing chloride of zinc with the pulp in the course of manufacture. It ha* been found that tho groater the degreo of concentration of tho zinc solution, the greater will be the toughness of the paper. It can be used for making boxes, combs, for roofing, and even in bootmaking.

HOW TO GLTTE LKATIIIR TO IRON. There is a constant inquiry as to the best plan for fastening leather to iron, and there are many recipe* for doing it. But probably the aimpleit mode, and one that will answer in a majority of cases, i* the following:—To glue leather to iron, pnint the iron with some kind of white lead and lamp black. When dry, cover with a cement mado as follows:— Tuko the best gluo, soak it in cold water till soft, then dissolve it in vinegar with a moderate heat, then add one-third of the bulk of white turpentine, thoroughly mix, and by means of the vinegar make it of the proper consistency to be spread with a brush, and apply it while not; draw the leather on quickly, and press it tightly in place. If a pulley, draw the leather around tightly, lap, and clamp.