SCIENCE AND ART.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6966, 15 March 1884, Page 12 (Supplement)

SCIENCE AND ART.

It has long been observed that when iron is imbedded in mortar it does not rust. A German chemist named Hannan has taken note of this fact, and produced a paint for iron which contains cauitic alkaline earth, so that the surface covered by it is effectually protected from rusting. Luminous jewels are just now the fashion in Paris. Glass imitatipns of rubies diamonds, emeralds, &c., are mounted so that a ■mall incandescent lamp behind them shines through, and produces a very brilliant effect. The lamp is supplied by a small battery, which is carried about the person.

Mr. Kanyard called attention at the last meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society to a narrow belt that he had observed on the planet Saturn during November last. It was oi a bluish-brown colour, and less than twice a3 broad as the ring. These belts which are very commonly seen on Jupiter, are of extremely rare occurrence on Saturn. A German physicist, H. Sauer, has performed the hitherto impossible task of converting lignt into electricity. A3 the very fact of electric-lighting indicates, it is an easy tiling to convert electricity into light. Herr Sauer has discovered a means by which the actinic or chemical rays of the sun are made to furnish electrical power, which acts upon a peculiarly constructed battery. Dr. Friedlander, of Berlin has discovered that pneumonia is produced by a special disease germ, or microccus, and he haa been exhibiting the same before the various learned nd medical societies in that city. The ex.toition was accompanied with experiments on mice, which animals were forced to inbale the pulverised masses of micrococci, and in every instance croupous pneumonia was produced in the poor little brutes. A Wisconsin correspondent, believing that steam mast eventually be used for flying machines, suggests that a sufficient lifting hold might be obtained with two parachutes. He would place them one above the other, •with valvoa similar to those in a bird's wing to retard downward motion, while the lifting and propelling power would be obtained from the upper parachute ; the lower parachute from which there would be a long rudder, also to form a check valve to the upper one, the tilting of the latter to furnish the propelling power. Messrs. Clarke, Bunnett & Co., of Rathbone Place, have fitted the new Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh, with a hydraulic curtain. The proscenium opening ia over 30ft. high by fully 2Sft. wide. The curtain is constructed of two screens of wrought iron plates, an eighth of an inch thick, forming a double division of 9 inches. The top of the curtain is riveted to double wrought iron girders secured to head of hydraulic rams, •which are fitted, with their cylinders, on each side of the proscenium openiug. The supply of "water for working the rams ia laid on from the town mains, and with an expenditure ot only eighty-four gallons of water the curtain, which weighs about 6J tons, can be raised or lowered in fifty seconds. The means of working the curtain are in the promptor's box, -and the prompter by simply moving a lever, can drop the curtain, thus I'ormiDg, with the proscenium wall, a solid fireproof division of the house, totally separating the stage from the auditorium, so that in case of fire an audience would be perfectly free from danger.

In the Monthly Journal of Science we find an interesting paper, by Mr. H. M. Busgen, on the "Nutrition of the Drosera by means of the Insects which it Catches." To deterhow far fly-catching is necessary to the plant, or how far the seizing of the insect is a matter of chance, the author cultivated eighteen young plants in a piece cf peat fertilised with a chemical solution. One half of these he fed diligently on aphides, the other half he starved. Having kept them for the winter he found that in May the fed plants were altogether more robust than the others, and had a greateF proportion of leaves. Subsequently he observed that they produced nearly three times as many blossoms and five times as many seed enpsules as the unfed ones, and on drying them afterwards he found that those to which ho had given the food were more than three times the weight of the others. By a further series of experiments, be satisfied himself that this luxuriance of growth did not depend on the liquid or soil in which the plantß were cultivated, but that, 'under fairly equal circumstances, the fed plants throve the best.