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Kansas University Weekly.
Lost-In the gentlemen's dressing room at the gymnasium a gold scarf pin in the shape of a sword, with five pearls upon the hilt. Finder will please leave it with the local editor and receive reward.
School of Fine Arts.
Mrs. Clarke's Elocution entertainment will take place next Saturday evening at Music Hall. An interesting program is expected.
Miss Drake will give her vocal recital next Tuesday evening.
Prof. Farrell went down to Baldwin Tuesday where he assisted Prof. Hair of Baker University in a musical concert. Miss Cunningham of Baker and Mr. Hunt of Leavenworth also participated in the program which was of unusual merit and which was listened to by a large and appreciative audience.
Miss Reeder gave a brilliant program last Tuesday evening which approached a very high standard in every respect. There was a large and appreciative audience, the numbers were well rendered, particularly those requiring delicate and staccato effects. The concert closed with Weber's sparkling Polacca in E maj. arranged for two pianos.
Miss Jessie Brown visited her sister in order to be present at Miss Reeder's recital.
Miss Leverton's father attended the convention of the Knights Templars in Lawrence.
Miss Madge Schaum is taking vocal instruction from Prof. Farrell.
Snow Hall.
Prof. L. L. Dyche will lecture at Hiawatha Saturday. This will be the last lecture given by him this season.
Now that the fire-fly or lightning-bug is to be observed sparkling about during the early evenings and nights, a note in relation to the light produced by this insect may be made. Experiments by Prof. S. P. Langley, present secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, show that this peculiar energy gives more than 99 per cent of light and less than 1 per cent heat.
Conditions almost inverse exist in ordinary light as the incandescent lamp gives but 2 per cent light and 98 per cent heat. This comparison indicates, from an economical standpoint, the desirability of generating light with a smaller amount of heat. When a method approximating that of the fire-fly is discovered an immense stride in illuminating economy will have been made. Nature has accomplished the feat, and it is not improbable that man will ultimately be able to do so. In fact recent experiments in that direction have been reasonably successful although the light produced was very inefficient.
A fossil bird, Hesperornis, in the University museum is the best specimen of a toothed bird in any museum of the world. The skeleton is nearly complete and the fossil, besides having impressions of feathers, is the only known specimen in which traces of the skin are preserved. Hesperornis when alive stood about four feet high. Although a wading bird it was very similar to an ostrich in appearance. The wings were rudimentary and functionless. The impressions of feathers do not seem to indicate that the bird possessed true feathers but that the whole body covering, excluding the doubtful wings and tail, was like the down of a young chicken, or of the New Zealand Apteryx. The bones, contrary to the characteristic cellular conditions of the bones of most modern birds, were solid throughout, having no narrow cavities and resembling in this respect the modern penguin. The teeth, of which several are preserved with the museum specimen are pointed and conical like those of a snake. The teeth were placed in sockets in the long strong jaws. The lower jaw had twenty teeth and the upper jaw a less number. Hesperornis is very difficult to secure and at best but fragmentary specimens are found. The museum possesses two other excellent ones and the most complete skull in existence. The museum specimens was taken from the Kansas cretaceous of the Smoky Hill river. Dr. S. W. Williston is now preparing a paper on this species for publication.