EXTEACTS FROM ENGLISH PAPERS.

Press, Volume XIV, Issue 1885, 30 April 1869, Page 3

EXTEACTS FROM ENGLISH PAPERS.

The Q-ulf Stream,—our oldest and most venerable geographical tradition, —is called in question. Mr. Findley thinks it a Mrs. Harris, " don't believe there's no such person;" at least, while admitting the current, he doubts its effect on temperature, doubts if we are any warmer for it. Dγ Carpenter, however, who has just been dredging near the Shetland Isles, comes opportunely to our relief. He shows that the soundings of Sir James Koss in the Southern hemisphere gave a uniform temperature of 39 deg in all depths in the parallel of 56 deg 25

niin S. lat, and as between 59 deg and 62 deg N. lat. Dγ Carpenter aod liis associates found an average temperature of 52 deg, he argues that something must be due to the Gulf Stream, especially as the temperuture varied a good deal at certain points, and sometimes seemed to show the sudden influence of cold Arctic currents. The warm area was covered with a bottom of globigerina mud, full of animal life belonging to the temperate region; while ia the cold area there was little but barren sand, with scarce any animal life. That seems satisfactorily to prove warm and cold currents. But are there not warm and cold currents in most seas, —in the Pacific as well as I the Atlantic ? There is no doubt, we I believe, that Vancouver's Island is a more temperate climate, at the same latitude, than England ; and Vancouver's Island, whatever warm currents it has, never used to have a Gulf Stream. We fear the personality of our very venerable old friend the Gulf Stream is seriously called into question. Wβ hear a great deal just now of the re-establishment of the reporters' gallery, or " journalists' tribune," which perhaps sounds better, in the, French Legislative Chamber. It is, perhaps, worthwhile to point out the fact, which seems somehow to have escaped notice, that although some score of newspapers will be allowed to send one representative each to this resuscitated " tribune," yet no journal will be permitted to publish any report of the speeches other than the one now supplied to every journal by the reporters and agents of the Government. The journalists will be allowed to describe the building, or the personal appearance of the deputies —to do anything they please, in fact, except report the speeches. M. Tardieu, the celebrated chemist, has made some interesting and important experiments with red stockings imported from England. Alter extracting the coloring matter, he introduced a certain quantity of it beneath the skin of a dog, which died in twelve hours. A rabbit similarly treated expired in eight hours, and a frog in four. Opening the animals, M. Tardieu reextracted the red coloring matter from their bodies, and with it dyed a skein of silk. In his report, communicated to the Academic dcs Sciences, M. Tardieu condemns the use of " coraline" (the mineral poison to which the fatal stockings owe their brilliant but deceptive hue) as an article of general commerce ; and recommends that the importation of red stockings from England be absolutely prohibited.