Scientific American Supplement, No. 520, December 19, 1885

Scientific American Supplement,
No. 520, December 19, 1885

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Title: Scientific American Supplement, No. 520, December 19, 1885
Author: Various
Release Date: September 8, 2004 [EBook #13401]
Language: English
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SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SUPPLEMENT NO. 520

NEW YORK, DECEMBER 19, 1885

Scientific American Supplement. Vol. Vol. XX, No. 520.
Scientific American established 1845
Scientific American Supplement, $5 a year.
Scientific American and Supplement, $7 a year.
* * * * *
TABLE OF CONTENTS.
I. ENGINEERING, ETC.--Steel Structures.--Best use of different
grades of steel.--From a paper by Mr. JAS. CHRISTIE.
Natural Gas Fuel and its Application to Manufacturing:
Purposes.--Paper read before the Iron and Steel Institute by Mr.
ANDREW CARNEGIE.--First use of the gas.--Wells near
Pittsburg.--Extent of territory underlain with gas.--Cost of
piping.--Analyses ofnatural gas.
A Gas Engine Water Supply Alarm.--1 figure.
The Water Supply of Ancient Roman Cities.--An address by Prof. W.H.
CORFIELD.--Aqueducts for the supply of Borne.--The aqueduct bridge
Pont du Gard.--The supply of Lyons.--Construction of underground
aqueducts.
Steam Engine Economy.--By Chief Engineer J. LOWE, U.S.N.--With
diagram.
The "Elastic Limit" in Metals.--Selection of wire for suspension
bridges, etc.
Prices of Metals in 1874 and 1884.--With table.
II. TECHNOLOGY.--A Method of Measuring the Absolute
Sensitiveness of Photographic Dry Plates.--By Wm. H.
PICKERING.--From the proceedings of the Academy of Arts and
Sciences.
Soldering and Repairing Platinum Vessels in the Laboratory.--By J.W.
PRATT.
The Helicoidal or Wire Stone Saw invented by M.P. GAY.--With
engraving of quarry showing application of saw, and 5 figures.
Portable Prospecting Drill and Automatic Safety Gear shown at the
Inventions Exhibition.--With 2 engravings.
III. ELECTRICITY, ETC.--Electricity in Warfare.--By Lieutenant B.A.
FISKE, U.S.N.--Electrical torpedoes.--Torpedo detecter.--Military
telegraphy and telephony.--Electricity for firing great
guns.--Arrangement of wires for lights.--The search

light.--Incandescent lamps for sight signaling.--Electrical launches.--An
"electric sight".
Meucci's Claims to the Telephone.--With description of his instrument
and 10 figures.
An Electric Centrifugal Machine for Laboratories.--By ALEX.
WATT.--From paper read before the British Association.--1 figure.
Transmission of Power by Electricity.--Experiments of M. MARCEL
DEPREZ.
IV. ART AND ARCHITECTURE.--Quadriga for the New House of
Parliament at Vienna.--An engraving.
Glazed Ware Finial.--With engraving.
Hotel de Ville, St. Quentin.--With engraving.
Fire Doors in Mills.--From a lecture before the Franklin Institute by C.J.
HEXAMER.
V. NATURAL HISTORY, ETC.--Preservation of Insects.
An Accomplished Parrot.
The Roscoff Zoological Laboratory.--The buildings and rooms.--The
aquarium.--Course of study.
The Murænæ at the Berlin Aquarium.--With engraving.
Metamorphosis of Arctic Insects.
VI. MEDICINE. ETC.--A Year's Scientific Progress in Nervous and
Mental Diseases.--By Prof. L.A. MERRIAM.--Report to the Nebraska
State Medical Society.
Scaring the Baby Out.
VII. MISCELLANEOUS.--Wage Earners and their
Houses.--Manufacturers as landlords.--Experiments of Pullman, Owen,
Peabody, and others.
The Locked and Corded Box Trick, with Directions for making the
Box.--By D B. ADAMSON.--9 figures.
A Perpetual Calendar.--With engraving.
* * * * *

PRESERVATION OF INSECTS.
To remove the verdigris which forms upon the pins, the pinned insects
should be immersed in benzine and left there for a time; several hours
is generally long enough. The administration of this bath cannot be too
highly recommended for beetles which have been rendered

unrecognizable by grease, especially when dust has been mixed with
the grease. This immersion, of variable duration according to
circumstances, will restore to these insects, however bad they have
become, all their brilliancy and all their first freshness, and the
efflorescences of cupric oxide will not reappear. This preventive and
curative method is also readily applicable to beetles glued upon paper
which have become greasy; plunge them into benzine in the same way,
and as the gum is insoluble in the liquid, they remain fastened to their
supports. Pruinose beetles, which are few in number, are the only ones
that benzine can alter; the others, which are glabrous, pubescent, or
scaly, can only gain by the process, and they will always make a good
show in the collection.--_A. Dubois in Feuille des jeunes naturatistes_,
March, 1885, p. 71.--Psyche.
* * * * *

QUADRIGA FOR THE NEW HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT, AT
VIENNA.
[Illustration: QUADRIGA FOR THE NEW HOUSE OF
PARLIAMENT, AT VIENNA.]
The new House of Parliament at Vienna is known as one of the finest
specimens of pure Greek architecture erected in this century; and
throughout the entire building great pains have been taken to ornament
the same as elaborately as is consistent with good taste. The main
buildings are provided with