8
UNIVERSITY COURIER.
specimens for examination and plenty of material for use in the laboratory, his knowledge can but be very superficial and ambiguous, and will soon become a mere dream of his college days.
From the Department of Physics and Astronomy, contributed by Prof. H. S. S. Smith.
The present comet is attracting considerable attention in the scientific world. Its size—fifty million miles or thereabouts long,—the nearness of its approach to the surface of the sun, and its favorable situation, all render it an interesting object and one that will repay careful study. It is the second comet that has shown the presence of sodium, and the spectrum shows that it, like most comets, is composed of a luminous hydrocarbon gas. The haze that was seen to go before the nucleus gradually increased from October 9th to October 15th. It then grew less and was last seen October 25th. What such an appearance indicates has not been yet determined. The two most interesting questions connected with the comet are: Is this the comet of 1843 and 1880, and, if so, what has caused it to change its path so completely? and, did the comet have anything to do with the formation of several large sun spots that appeared at the time of its perihelion passage? Neither of these questions has been satisfactorily answered as yet.
W. H. Preece, an English electrician, has succeeded in telegraphing from Southampton to the Isle of Wight without using a cable. The method employs the principle of induction and utilizes the sea as part of the apparatus. According to the Kansas City Review, Mr. Preece was forestalled by a Scotch school teacher, Lindsay, who succeeded in telegraphing across the river Tay as long ago as 1859.
Prof. S. P. Langley is busily engaged in the important work of determining the nature and amount of the radiant energy of the sun. His new instrument, the balometer, has opened a new and valuable field for research, and has already more than doubled the length of the known spectrum.
A casual break into Prof. Patrick's laboratory, while the new minerals were being arranged, revealed to us some of the most handsome specimens we have ever seen anywhere. The dullest admirer could not help letting his eyes feast upon the beautiful copper ores and curious stalactites.
HUMIDITY OF THE AIR AT LAWRENCE, KANSAS.
Taken from Prof. Snow's report on the climate of Kansas.
The amount of moisture contained in the atmosphere is another important element in climatology. Much has been said in reference to the dryness of the air in Kansas, and on account of this property many individuals have received permanent benefit from a residence in this State. The observations on this point cover a period of fourteen complete years, during which time the average relative humidity was 68.1; complete saturation being represented by 100. By this is meant that upon the average the air contained a little more than two-thirds of the amount of moisture it was capable of containing. This percentage of moisture forms a very desirable mean between the very moist and the very dry, being alike favorable to the healthful condition of man, the domestic animals, and the growing crops. Mean relative humidity for each month: January, 75.0; February, 70.7; March, 64.4; April, 60.0; May, 65.1; June,
68. 6; July, 70.9; August, 68.3; September, 69.1; October, 64.6; November, 67.0; December, 71.5. These figures show that the air is the driest in March, April, and October, and dampest in the three winter months.
ARE MUSHROOMS POISONOUS?
Prof. Ponfic, Breslau, has shown by experiments on dogs that all mushrooms are poisonous. Washing with cold water deprives them of part of their poison, and boiling usually takes away the rest; but the water in which they have been boiled is very poisonous, even more so than the raw mushrooms themselves. Experiments showed that if a dog ate one per cent. of his own weight of mushrooms it fell sick, while two per cent. was always fatal.
LITERARY.
WHY?
Such a little word, only three letters in it, but what a mighty power behind it. It is the spirit of investigation.
A child is the personification of this spirit. From his earliest years he makes constant use of this little word why, followed by very emphatic interrogation points. If no one will answer him he settles it his own way. He digs up the seeds that have been planted, to see why they don't grow; he breaks all a sitting hen's eggs, and then innocently remarks, "I is trying to see why doesn't the little chickies come out?"
All these things are very trying, as well as amusing, and the little fellow usually gets a sound whipping, and is given to understand that he is never to try to find out things in that way. Poor child, what can he do? That he learns so much about the world in which he finds himself, is due to this inate power. Without it he could never have any but superficial knowledge. There is no such thing as thoroughness without exercising this faculty. But how few people stop to think of the importance of this fact. It is very troublesome to have a child coming with questions which they cannot answer; and, instead of trying to direct him in his investigation, and to encourage him, they say: "Oh, don't bother me now, I am busy. Little boys shouldn't ask so many questions. Run away and play like a good boy." And so it is, not once, but always. Is it any wonder that he loses, to a certain extent, his ability to trace things to their sources? Children think a great deal more than people give them credit for; and, since their thoughts are always busy, why not give them something worth while to work at?
Every time the inquiring mind is successful in its attempts to understand various phenomena, its power to observe and apprehend becomes stronger. This same power has led to all the great discoveries of past ages. See the little boy in his grandmother's kitchen, as he sits before the fire with his eyes fixed on the great iron tea-kettle hanging on the crane. At last he says: "Gran'ma, why does the tea-kettle cover jump up and down so?" "Steam inside, dear," the old lady an- "But what makes the steam do it, I don't see." "Grandma can't tell you sonny. See if you can't find out." In after years he did find out, and made the name of James Watts famous for all time.
And so on through the whole list. Each discovery was made by a mind used in investigating and pondering over a subject until every part was understood,