Science Siftings

New Zealand Tablet, 2 November 1916, Page 53

Science Siftings

By ‘Volt.’

nioiry naKe. Lying at an altitude of 12,545 feet, Lake Titicaca,, partly in Peru and partly in Bolivia, is the highest steam-navigated body of water in the world. The lake is 80 miles long by 40 wide, and is divided into, two unequal parts by the peninsula of Copacabana* the southern division, called the Lake of Huaqui, being united to the larger body by the narrow Strait of iiquina. The principal islands of the lake are Titicaca and Coati, near the above-named peninsula. Near the southern shore of the lake are located the famous ruins of Tiahuanacu, relics of temples and palaces built by a people whose rule must have ante-dated that of the Incas by hundreds of centuries, and of whose culture and civilisation nothing remains save these specimens of their remarkable masonry and a few carved stone idols that have been unearthed in modern times. Living Aeroplanes. It would be a mistake to suppose that the bird’s wings enable it to fly. If wings spelt flying, any of us could attach a pair and soar- into the air. The hollow bones make light bodies, but they are attached to a rigid backbone, which forms the main feature of the bird’s body. This gives the central firmness, and the muscles do the rest. The wings balance their owners, and the tail acts as a rudder for steering. Often enough the bird seems to use its tail as a sort of brake. It is interesting to compare the bird with the product of man’s skillthe aeroplane. To begin with, there is no aeroplane made which copies the up-and-down motion of the bird’s wing, all our machines having fixed wings, or planes. But, naturally, man first tried to copy the living fliers around him. He made wings of feathers, etc., connected them with his shoulders and legs, and found that his muscles could not raise him an inch. The muscles, or motors, which now drive him through the air are as strong as 200 horses, so no wonder he failed at first. Even the bird, with a body so perfectly formed for flight, has flying muscles equal in weight to all its other muscles put together. Briar Pipe Industry. The war has given an impetus to the briar-pipe manufacture, which as a commercial industry in England had its inception in 1859, though its age on the Continent antedated that period considerably. The French white heath, whose roots furnish the pip© material, flourishes in all countries bordering upon the Mediterranean and grows to a height of 38 to 45 inches. Around Florence, Italy, it is the custom to cut the long, tough, young shoots each year, bind them together, and sell them for use in sweeping streets in cities and towns. Outside of this, the jdant is allowed to grow for three or four years, when the roots will have developed sufficiently to permit cutting them, enough of the plant being left to permit cuttings every three years. The loots most in demand for pipe-making, a certain aroma and brightness of wood being the test, are those obtained from the Tuscan Maremme in the neighborhood of Follonica, Cecina, and Grosseto. They are preferred by manufacturers to those from any other part of Italy, or from Algeria or the Orient. Most of the land in the Tuscan Maremme growing these roots is owned by French and British concerns, who maintain warehouses and work-shops on or near their lands where the roots are washed, boiled, and roughly shaped, after which they are sorted by size, color, and quality.