I The person charging this material is re- ' sponsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the j Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. To renew call Telephone Center, 333-8400 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN L161 — O-1096 Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive in 2015 V https://archive.org/details/growingworldorprOOunse FROM THE LOWEST TO THE HIGHEST TYPE OF ANIMAL LIFE. THE Growing World OR, PROGRESS OF CIVILIZATION, AND THE WONDERS OF JNf ATURE, ^Science, J-^iterature and ytRT, INTERSPEKSED WITH A USEFUL AND ENTER T^^ininG COLLECTION OF MISCELLANY BY THE BEST AUTHORS OF OUR DAY. ILL U S T RA T E D. PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO and KANSAS CITY: W. M. PATTERSON & CO. 1887. iSntered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1880, by M. PATTERSON & CO. m the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. Manufactured bv W. M. PATTERSON & GO'S PUBLISHING HOUSE, PREFACE. ' Education is the cheap defence of nations, " was the wise sentiment once uttered by that great statesman, Edmund Burke. We have in this sentiment one of the noblest truths discovered by modern political sages, and one, too, that demands large consideration in the canons of jurisprudence. By education, we mean the cultivation of the moral faculties, in a degree commensurate with the improvement of the intellect, and, in addition thereto, a corresponding physical culture. The perfec- tion of these three combined form the perfect man — the image of God ; and where either is wanting, or exists iu an inferior degree, the symmetry of the whole is marred. The mere cultivation of the intellect — the arousing of the mental faculties to vigorous action, while the moral sentiments are allowed to remain dormant or become corrupt, too frequently proves a curse to the individual and to society, rather than a blessing. Every ray of light that illumines the understanding should also shed its influence over the habitation of the pas- sions; and the head and heart should be equally warmed by the glorious luminary, Knowledge. This mighty power, which is bearing the human race rapidly onward toward perfection, has many agents at work; and every true philanthrt)pist feels solicitous concerning the character of these various ministers to human improvement. The TONGUE, the PEN, and the press should all be subservient to the dictates of pure morality and sound judgment; and whosoever labors for the good of society — whosoever longs for a happy change in the social character of his race, should strive earnestly for the purifica- tion of this triad of forces. Ignorance is constantly putting torth lais./ literature, and teaching false doctrines, through which the young mind is liable to be tempted and led astray. It is the instigator of drunk- enness, debauchery, and shame. It is the precursor of tyranny, crime, and war. Thou- sands of our young men are being led away, and they are forming habits truly deplorable. These are to be the men that the coming generation will have to contend with. Tho war between ignorance and knowledge will continue; but knowledge and education are in the ascendant; and wherever civilization extends, the banner of ignorance trails in the dust. Our noble system of free schools is rapidly raising the United States to the foremost rank among the learned nations of the world. The enormous number of books and papers pub- lished and circulated among our people attest the fact that ours is a reading and thinking nation. The desire for knowledge is on the increase ; and, step by step, scientific progress is moving forward. A hundred years ago the bare thought of a steam engine had scarcely found a place in the brain of man. Plows were made of wood, and hoes with handles inserted through eyes. Who had dreamed of the electric telegraph, the telephone, the elec- tric light, the harvesting machine, the sewing- machine, and the ten thousand other great inventions that crowd the page of discoveries of the nineteenth century.? No one. Thit age of genius, enterprise, and learning had not developed itself Great minds have studied, thought, and reasoned all their lives to bring about the present state of human knowledge ; and now they arrive at the coa- iv PREFA CE, elusion that they are taking the first step upon the ladder of progress, and that they have barely learned the A B C of science. Through the medium of the printing press the leading men of to-day have become acquainted with all the discoveries and inven- tions former generations have ever made. To these they have added their own theories, speculations, and discoveries, and thus have made the present age an age of progress. They have made deep researches, and have performed their parts well ; but now the heads of many of our noblest minds are becoming silvered o'er with gray. They will soon pass away, and sleep the silent slumber beneath the sod, as their fathers have before. The rising generation will soon be called upon to take their places in the world, with greater advantages left for them than were ever left for any previous generation. To the truly benevolent mind, the moment- ous questions present themselves : — What proportion of this mass of information is really useful ? How much of knowledge thus offered to the intellect carries with it a salu- tary moral influence, and while it enlightens the understanding, improves the heart ? How much of this vast amount of the daily produc- tions of the press contains the seeds of genuine knowledge ? We fear that a correct answer to these inquiries would spread a broad dark shadow over the picture of the march of intel- lect — ^that the winnower would find but a few measures of grain in the immense heap of chaff! We have viewed with pain the development of the slow improvement, in a moral point of view, of society around us, while general intel- ligence is so rapidly increasing. Everybody reads — few study. Mind acting upon mind, through the medium of the cheap literature*' of the day, is developing on every side a vast amount of hidden intellectual vigor, destined to exert a powerful influence over the future character of the race. But amid all these ministrations to the wants of growing intellect, there is too much apathy on the subject of corresponding moral culture. There is now a vast amount of mental dissipation visible around us ; and the more exciting, the more intoxicating, the character of a publication, the greater is the number of purchasers — the greater the profits of the vender. Out of this traffic spring evils as deleterious, and as much to be deprecated by the wise and good, as me traffic in alcohol ; and every true philanthropist should labor to arrest its progress, and coun- teract its degenerating influence. With this class of men — men who love their kind, and aim to elevate man, by a due improvement of his faculties, to his proper standard of excel- lence, we delight to labor, and press onward, shoulder to shoulder, in the diffusion of useful knowledge. In the following pages, we have endeavored to garner up treasures drawn from every department of human knowledge. We have endeavored to make the pen and burin sub- servient to the best interests of society, by portraying those various truths respecting men and things which form such important features in the constitution of the social compact From the mines of History, Biography, Natu- ral History, Moral and Physical Sciences, Fine Arts, and General Literature, we have prepared the choicest gems, such as emit the purest moral lustre; and at a price commensurate with the means of the most humble in worldly goods, we offer this casket to the public, with the sincerest desire that it may prove a valuable acquisition to the moral and intellectual wealth of every possessor. 4 INDEX. A. Atmospheric Phenomenon «. . 15 Animals, gesture language of . 16 Animals, effect of steam on. . 33 America, pre-historic 32 Arabs, peculiarities of the. . . 33 America, the wooden wonders of 37 Angelo, Michael, as a work- man 122 Animals, length of life of 127 Athirst 144 A Great Engineer 149 A Text Among the Cresses. . . 156 Aluminium 159 Astronomer, the Doy 166 Atoms, minuteness of 167 American Caviare 168 Arsenic 169 A Royal Dinner 169 Accidents, happy 180 Arabs, burial rites of 181 Alcohol 183 Alpnach, the slide of 191 Anglo Saxon Cheer 192 Ants, visiting 193 A House on the Water 196 A Deep Well 205 Accident, taking advantage of 206 Alabama Lake, wonders of . . . 207 Ancients, the food of 208 A Bird Story 209 Arnold, Benedict, boyhood of 213 Algiers, a Roman tunnel in . . 62 Arctic Night 67 Ancient Earthworks, Tennes- see 74 Artesian Wells 75 A Great Naturalist 78 Ancient Fortification, an 81 Augean Stables 82 Antarctic Region 84 Ancient Mode of Living 220 A Singular Meeting 221 A Paper Age 221 An Ancient Document 233 An Odd Trade 222 Authors, habits of 231 A Trained Dog 233 An Arabian Thief 238 An Aged Tortoise 250 An Energetic Girl 253 A Royal Wager 253 A Mother's Song 335 Accidental Discovery 351 A Sailor's Story 355 A Royal Joke 355 A Useful Drug 355 An Irish Elliott 363 A Hundred Years Ago 371 A New Englander's Will 383 Annie Laurie 387 A Man Worth Knowing 388 A Railroad Signal Office 394 Autumn Has Come 405 A Living Bridge 406 A Wonderful Dog 407 Amber 408 A Famous Bed 408 American Freedom 412 A Debtor's Prison 427 Abroad With Nature 432 Anger 436 A Long Speech 446 An Arab Belle 451 A Contrast 453 Artificial Incubation 454 Arizona 458 Amonia 458 Across the Western Wilder- ness 463 An Ancient Hotel 491 A Word to Young Men 497 B. Biology 11 Brain, the unconscious action of 15 Body, chemistry of the 18 Balloons and Aerial Naviga- tion 24 Bohemian Waxwing, the. ... 30 Birds' Nests for Food 49 Burliugame, Anson 107 Brougham's, Lord, Residence 147 Burrett, Elihu, the learned blacksmith 150 Babes, food for 157 Bees, habitations of 161 Birds' Nests 161 Bat, about a 174 Birds, spare the 185 Babel, the tower of 194 Blind, the preceptions of the. 195 Bunker Hill Monument 201 Blood, iron in the 205 Bridge, the great 205 Bahamas, wrecking on the . . . 209 Buffalo, migration of the 210 Bees, why they work in the dark 210 Beetle, only a 214 Birds of Tennessee 55 Baffins Bay by Moonlight 67 Banyan and Ceiba Trees 68 Boyden, Seth, the inventor. .. 69 Books 73 Benares, India 73 Bronze Statue, how cast 86 Bird, the humming - 245 Beaux of Former Times 228 Boiling Lake 233 Bathing in Famous Waters . . 234 Boy Nature 240 Butterfly Life 247 Bay Billy 328 Bell Family, the 348 Business Success 375 Blood Poisoning 363 Big Ben 374 Battle with a Grizzly 878 Baron Munchausen 381 Burton and Brougham 411 Born a Poet 416 Bashan Shepherd 427 Billiard Balls 434 Beef for Britons 450 C. Compass, gas and gunpowder 17 Coral and Pearl Fishing 29 Christmas, after 30 Cooke, Jay 109 Clay, Henry 119 Cooper, Peter 121 Chase, Salmon P 131 Calhoun 135 Chickering, Jonas 142 City and Country 160 Cats on Exhibition 162 Chlorine 162 Crow, a legendary 196 Cheer Him 197 Caesar's Nose 198 Commerce, influence of 204 Charcoal 206 CoUossus, the modern 210 Curious Chances 214 Children, play with the 215 Celestial Oddities 215 China, New Year's day in 218 Carthage, Fall of 51 Carniverous Plants 56 Ceylon, the natives of 62 Cacti and Agaves 63 Canton 67 China, the great wall of 78 Clothing the Body 500 Crocodile, the Florida 81 Cerberus 85 Coffee Tree, the 86 Cushman, Charlotte 93 Carson. Cliristopher 98 Coral Brackets 246 V INDEX. Combat Between Polar Bears. 342 Canaries, training 244 Coal 254 Carbonic Acid 343 Charlotte Corday 348 Cultivation of the Quince. . . . 357 Cloves and Pepper 362 Cattle in Texas 395 Character 397 Cotton and Wool 398 Camphor 404 Camp Meetings 415 Canaries, English and German 424 Cycles 428 Curious Pair of Jaws 431 Carbon 442 Calcium 451 Changes in Fashions 452 Cashmere Shawls 491 Colorado 512 D. Dentistry, Japanese Drake, Francis Duke of Portknd, the. . . . Drew, Daniel Dore's, Gustave, Studio. . . Divorce Customs Dalmatia, Bag-pipers of.. . . Drunkards, punishment of. Duel, A, fought in the air. . Diamond, the Dorrilism Depths of the Ocean Discovery of a Lost Plant. . Diving beneath the Sea. . . Dull Great Men Duelling Double Barrelled Faces. . . . Delusive Buoys Defence of the Goose Drowning Death Detractors Dogs in Council Electricity, the power of Entomologist, Visiting an. . . . Esquimaux, how they live. . . Eloquence Earthworm, the Egypt, the dancing girls of. . Elephant, the capture of Etching Glass, the manner of. Engine, the starting of the. . . Eye, the human English m. American Good- breeding Eye, a mechanical Earthquake, the great Execution of Raleigh Elephants at Sea Early Marriages Equine Sagacity English Landowners Economies Experience of a Minister Experience Experiments with Diamonds . Eating Fruit Fungus Fish, musical. 44 117 122 130 162 197 205 206 210 53 59 65 72 235 255 373 385 396 401 437 453 437 13 20 39 147 168 172 173 177 194 208 213 217 65 230 351 343 346 348 375 403 416 458 511 16 19 i ' Fish, flying. 30 Fish, eyeless 35 Frisky and Flossy 42 Fish, a peculiar 42 Flowers, some curious 44 Franklin's Visit to his Mother 128 Fame 132 Four Great Men, the end of . . 134 Falconry, the days of 139 Farragut 145 Franklin, Benjamin 146 & 156 Fremont, J. C 148 Flowers, sleeping 177 Friends, the farmers' 179 Fur-bearing Animals, skin of 186 Fish, millions of, distributed, 189 French and English manners. 189 Fish, taking of food by 58 Fossils 58 Fire, everlasting 62 Fish Trap, an Esquimaux' ... 72 Flowers in the Tropics 74 Furies and Harpies 83 Fogs 232 Fishing for Pearls 253 French and English Manners . 344 Franklin's Simple Church . . . 344 Farmers' Life in Winter 345 Fungi 349 Fruitful Age 365 Food and Flannel 368 Farm Life 369 Future of Animals 383 Frog Barometers 391 Freedmen's Memorial 384 Fruits and Flowers 398 Footprints of Time 409 Fishing Through the Ice 424 Foreign Languages 428 Feelings while Dying 435 Familiar Faces 445 Fight Between Horse and- Tiger 501 Functions of the Skin 505 G. Gems and Precious Stones. . . 20 Ganges Canal, the 32 Giants, facts concerning 115 Grave Robbers 186 Gluttony, ancient 193 Gulf Stream 194 German Courtships 195 Great Writers as Conversers . 205 Giants, a family of 207 Girls, a Chinese book for. . . . 216 Gold, the world's 82 Gas, origin and manufacture. 84 Gold Leaf 85 German Students 92 Goodyear, Charles 94 Greeley, Horace 104 Gulf Stream, the 245 Greedy Monarchs 244 Gossiping 256 Gambling 331 Getting on Life 333 Greenland Fashions 343 Greatness and Goodness 352 Good Advice 352 Gossip 365 Girls 397 German Betrothals 415 (i raves of Presidents 433 (Hycerine 500 I I H. House, a silk-lined 34 Hamilton, Alexander Ill Hayes, Rutherford B 116 His Choice 123 Hohenlinden, battle of 154 Hydrogen 181 House Raising, Island of Ru- gen 193 Heart, an oyster's 194 Hygroscopic Paper 218 Human Remains, the oldest. . 54 Heavens, wonders of the 57 Hudson, the first steamboat on the 62 Honduras 71 Howe, Elias 89 Henry, Patrick 95 Human Sympathy 220 Hyenas 22G Hydrochloric Acid 387 Horses and Their Masters 389 Happiness at Home 417 Harmful Literature 425 Heines' Last Hours 437 Hashish 452 Habit of Observation 457 Homes Without Hands 461 Horses in Japan , , , , 499 India, scenes in Ireland in the Olden Time. . . 116 Indians, the Pecos 117 In the Twilight 168 Insect Destroyers 179 Invention, what it has done. . 186 Iodine 193 Insects of Commerce 202 Incident, a drawing-room. . . . 210 Instrument, the magical 218 India Rubber 80 Ireland, the peat boys of 82 Ink, a river of 84 Indian Tradition 258 Interest and Perseverence 346 Ingenuity of Smugglers 384 Icelanders in Alaska 404 Irresolution 443 Imaginary Miseries 443 Indian Foods 492 Indian Runners 499 Integrity in Business , , , 510 Jason and the Argonants 153 Joan of Arc 87 Jefferson, Thomas 98 Jewish Life 222 Jugglers and Snake Charmers 238 Josephine's Sanctuary 238 Japanese Teeth-pulling, , , , . , 385 Kerosene Oil, the history of . . 171 Knott's, J. Proctor, Duluth speech 184 Kindness of a Dofi: 356 INDEX. Lebanon, the cedars of 29 Let the World Know You're a Man 106 Lincoln, Abraham 124 Lafayette 133 Livingstone, David 134 Lawrence, Old John 137 Longfellow's Residence 149 Light and the Complexion ... 100 Limerick, the bells of 170 Locomotion, old modes of 175 Life Considered as a Mode of Motion 182 Lioness, the gratitude of a, . . 192 Light- Houses 193 Life 207 Leaf and Flower Impressions. 215 Learn, be willing to 217 Locomotive, the first Ameri- can 161 Lightning, Ball 61 Lapis Lazuli 62 Lavender Culture 83 Little Great Men 98 Life, the history of a 100 Life in the Ocean Depths. . . . 101 Life in Portuguese Towns . . . 232 Lunacv, curiosities of 255 Life in a Water Drop 329 London in 1665 336 Lamartine's Marriage 337 Literature 417 Light-Houses 421 Last Walk to Bethany 423 Lost to Society 427 Little Things 453 Lost Knowledge 457 Laughter 498 Life 509 M. j.V[icroscope, powers of the. . . 17 Meteoric Stones 28 Magellan, Straits of 46 Moon, telescopic views of the 48 Men, the coming 106 Marion, Francis 110 Mythical Beings 118 Money, the flight of 159 Malay Customs 165 Maryland Ponies 165 Mountain, the enchanted 183 Marbles 186 Minstrel, the wandering 203 Men, when at their best 21<^ Mascat, manners and customs in 52 Monkey, the 60 Meteor, a Pacific Coast 68 Minotaur, the 71 Musical Instrument, ancient.. 77 Mountains, high 83 Morse, S. F. B 99 Marbles, the manufacture of. 245 Machinery 227 Microscopic Revelation 239 Middle Ages, servants in the. 250 Men of Genius 254 Mouse Catching Baby 335 Marsh Gas 353 Much from Little 368 Magnesium 385 Magnesia 407 Masrriage of Great Men 407 Married Life in Germany. . . . 426 McKay, Donald 438 Marriages and Homes 447 Mexico 491 N. Nature, Science and Art 31 Neptune, discovery of 41 Nightingale, the 151 Niagara Falls, a big ship sent over 166 Natural History, curiosities of . 51 Night, no 73 Nautilus, the 78 Nurse, an elephant as 249 No Tact 365 Narrow Minded 375 Nitric Acid 382 Nature 387 Nitrogen 418 Newspapers, etc 425 New York Post Office 431 O. Ornithologist, vacation of an.. 113 One Great Lesson 144 Oxygen 160 Old Hickory, the origin of . . . 179 Orator, heroism of the true . . 217 Olive Tree, the 79 Old Time Streets 222 Oil Cloth 225 Our Enemies and Our Allies . 239 One Hundred Years Ago 261 Only One Moment. . . .'. 333 Odors 334 defiant Gas 335 Oxalic Acid 338 Oral Instruction 354 Obstinacy and Firmness 395 Oil of Vitriol 414 Old Bones 415 Ozone 427 Owls and Their Uses 448 Out of Work 456 P. Printing 26 Planetary System, the 28 People, a new race of 33 Panama Bay, the phosphor- esence of 35 Photographs, leaf 35 Photographic Chemicals 36 Paper Manufacture 36 Packer, Asa 108 Prince Albert's Wooing 115 Perseus and Hercules 119 Pompeii 60 Peabody, George 138 Putnam, Israel 154 Pic-nic, an Indian 158 Parrots, sagacity in 199 Prairies, growing trees on the 179 Potato, the 181 Plains, travelling on the 182 Phosphorus 185 Plant Travellers 197 Pious Women, dying words of 207 Pacific, voute to the 209 Pigeons, nesting of 211 Popgun, a living 215 Phenomenon, a natural 53 Plants that Eat Animals 59 Pyramids, how they were built 65 Pluto 105 Prison Life in France 238 Power of Music 240 Patents 242 Pins, how made 250 Pulpit Anecdotes 251 Prairie Chicken 25';i Platinum 258 Partridges and Quail 341 Pay as You Go 352 Practical Jokes 353 Profitable Excursions 358 Power of Kindness 374 Power of Associates 374 Presidents of the U. S 376 Plants that Sleep 378 Professional Diversions 395 Promptness on Duty 425 Pyramids and Ironclads 433 Power of a Great Example.... 455 Potato Culture 508 Q. Queen Elizabeth's Cup 78 Queensland 226 R. Railways, high speed on 16 Remarkable Blind Characters . 112 Rosy Hours 118 Rogers the Sculptor 123 Railroading in Early Days. , . 158 Richest Man, the estate of , < , 185 Rabbits' Tracks , 185 Robbins, early , . 190 .Rooms, how to beautify your. 194 Red Sea, the color of 195 Rosewood 206 Russia, the frost flowers of . . . 69 Rice Fields 79 Roman Luxury 85 Randolph and Byron 100 Railway Speed 228 Rupert's Land 241 Roman Fondness for Purple. . 243 Remarkable Longevity 251 Rhinocerous, grief of 251 Real Merit Wins 332 Roger Bacon 408 Rich-Poor of Paris 423 Resins 435 Reason 'ch. Instinct 437 Retiring from Business 455 Russian Ladies 456 Retiring from the Farm 492 Revisiting the Earth 510 S. Silk, the manufacture of 29 Sierras the, a mystery of c 34 Stone, the wandering 39 Snakes 40 Salt Lake 41 Stilts, living on 42 Science, the triumphs of 43 Sun and Moon, eclipses of . . . 45 Sponges 48 Sleepers, the seven 106 South America, the Pampas of 118 Scott's, Sir Walter, friendships 122 Scott. Winfield 136 INDEX, vii Sponge fisliing in Greece 141 Successful Workers 157 Sleep, how long to 158 Sicilian Vespers, the 161 Sport in the far West 163 Seed life c... 168 Spanish Customs 169 Slow but Sure 170 Sea Weeds, how to preserve. 170 Sun Dial, the 186 Swallows, the revenge of . . , . 187 Swift and his servant 189 Scott, Sir Walter 190 Siibaquous Life 198 Spider, how it builds 202 Siin light, the benefit of 207 Sea Birds 209 Swimming 214 Soda, manufacture of 232 Sulphur 222 Silk Culture 221 Sunlight and Health 216 Star Dust 219 Subterraneous Walls 55 Sea Monster, another 66 Sturgeon, number of eggs in the 66 Sepulchres, Peruvian 73 Sugar 80 Shamoy Skins 80 Spiders, house 86 Sandwich Islands 246 Self Improvement 245 St. Augustine 220 Sumner, Charles 243 Sunstroke 333 Salutations 334 Streets of London 354 Sagacity of a Rat 358 Silicon 363 Salt 364 Spring Trips 366 Snakes of Tenneesee 372 Scenes in the Polar Regions. . 392 Sleep 396 Soldiers' Dogs 402 Sulphur 410 Snail Eating 418 Spiders at Home 429 Strychnine 434 Sodium 446 Surprised by a Leopard 448 Summer Weather 449 Success and Industry 499 Sea- Side Sands 503 Sunday in Saxony 507 Swedes going Home 508 T. Telescope and Microscope. ... 25 Tlie Old Man Eloquent 109 Toads..,,.,,,,, ,., 125 The Street, taken from 127 Town, Salem, L.L.D 129 Telegraph, anecdote of the. = . 158 The Shah's Strong Box 169 The Great North- West 174 Truth, or Fiction. 178 The Sailors Dream 180 Traces of the Past 190 Tortoise, the prisoned 192 Training Wild Animals 196 Travelling, manners in 208 Toads, intelligence of 216 Treasures, recovered 217 Truth, neglected 219 Trout in Wells 65 Tunnels, celebrr.ted 70 Tradition, a curious. ........ 83 Timidity of Great Men 221 Terrapin and Turtle Hunting. 223 The Dead City of Is 226 The Future of My Boys 227 Tent Mates 228 Tears 231 Traditions Regarding Color. . 233 The Cyclausen 233 The Lighthouse 239 Teaching School in Olden Times 241 Tree of Saturn 249 Talking, the art of 250 The Road to Fortune 327 Tact 332 The Black Death 337 The Skin 337 The Incas 342 The Last Discovery 345 Toothache 346 The Boy who took a Boarder. 347 Tyrolese 347 The Early Morning Cock 358 The Lemming 394 The Hippopotamus 361 The Rag Picker's Savings 362 Tartaric Acid 367 Thrift and Salary 373 Trip to the Hermitage 386 Teach a child honesty 391 Tests of Character 397 Tunis 403 Trip to the Sandwich Islands. 411 The true Lady 416 Toilet of Sweden 423 Toilet in Spain 426 The American Shrike 441 The Key of Death 442 The Pulse 444 The Silence of Jerusalem. . . . 444 The Test of Fidelity 447 Trapped by a Spider 448 The Test of Time 455 The wandering Jew 462 Tiny Houses and their builders 495 The Adoration of Women, , , , 497 Talleyrands Wife 500 The Country Store 502 True Economy of Life. ...... 502 The Genius of Work 502 Throne of the Grand Mogul. . 506 The Region of Pure Spirits. . . 509 Tiswein 509 u. Unfinished Work 256 Ups and Downs 393 V. Vanderbilt 137 Vegetable instinct 160 Vacant Minds 197 Vaccination, the origin of . . . . 202 Vatican, the 58 Vulcan 79 Vegetable Oils 353 Vinegar 378 Vegetation in Cities 395 Value of Pluck 417 Vegetable Acids 496 Varnish 499 Value of a Cent 511 W. Whale the, and whalefishery. 47 Whipple, Jonathan 120 Whitney, Eli, and the Cotton Gin 132 Whale, power of the 177 Washington 180 Wedding, a Persian 191 Wonders of the Tide 55 Webster, Daniel 90 Wax Vase, how to mould. . . . 246 ^Vhat we Eat, Drink, and wear 22& Writing in Ceylon 230 Wonderful Waters 257 Western Europe 257 Wine 348 Window Lights 352^ Wyoming Massacre 356 Weights of Boys and Girls. . . 364 Winter in San Francisco 443' Wolves in the Mountains. . . . 451 Wife of Socrates 457 Weight of the Human Body. 498 Wild Bill 507 Y. Young Men, worldly prospects of 167 Yacob 258 Young Men m THE GKOWING WORLD. BIOLOGY. In Biology, the science of life, treating not only of the forms and functions of living beings, but em- bracing as it does everything, intimately or remotely, relating to the study of organized beings, we have an interesting, and, indeed, a fascinating subject. For life, as manifest in man, the highest of all organ- ized beings, or in the Amoeba, apparently a minute particle of bioplasm and the lowest and simplest of living things, has ever been the mystery of mysteries. In one vfe find life in its complexity and maturity, w.liile in the other we see life in its simplicity, in its cradle ; but neither the microscope nor the scalpel, nor the laboratory has ever been able to remove the mystic drapery surrounding life, but we are ever beckoned onward to another and different sphere of existence for its solution. And when even in a small degree we study by tbe help of the microscope the structure of beings, more elevated in the living hier- archy than this little jelly-like particle of living bio- plasm, we instantly see that the fundamental mass has lost its homogeneousness, that it has fractionized itself into many bioplasts, all invisible to the naked eye. Now, these small living centres or individual aells, form the fundamental basis not only for the manifestation of life, but also the foundation for every organ and tissue of the animal or vegetable or- ganism. These cell bodies are called anatomical or histological elements, and may be one five-hundreth or less than the five-thousandth of an inch in diam- eter, yet every one has a living bioplast as a centre, and into every centre there flows a current of nutrient matter or pabulum, which, by a process that cannot be explained by chemistry or any physical science, is changed into living matter. At the outer edge of the cell formed material accumulates, and is in some cases tissue, in some secretion, and in some an osseous deposit. Now these cells with germinal centres of bioplasm are scattered so pervadingly through all or- ganic structures that in no organism is there a space one five-hundredth of an inch square without a ger- minal point, or bioplast. The cells are more or less spherical, having a sort of individual life and independence, assimilating and dis-assimil- •ting on their own account, and constituted of a substance, colorless and more or less viscid, and when complete contains a living bioplast as a Tiiicleus, in which vitality is supposed to reside. It is now generally believed that the bioplast centers alone convert the nutrient matter into living matter and the living matter into the formed matter of the tissues. Schlienden was the first to show that the embryo of a flowering plant originated in a nucleated cell and that from such cells the vegetable tissues are developed. The original cells are formed in a plasma or blastema commonly foimd in pre-existing cells, the nuclei or bioplasts first appearing and then the cell-walls of formed material manifesting themselves. Schwann afterwards applied this discovery to animal structures, Ibelieving that the extra cellular formation of cells, or their origin in a free pabulum or blastema, was most frequent in animals, and that the cell nucleus is formed by the semi-fluid substance in the cell. That the cell when OBce formed continues to grow by its own in- dividual powers, but is at the same time directed by the influence of the entire organism in such a manner •as the design of the whole requires. This is, then, the theory of vitality, the fundamental phenomenon of all animal and vegetable life. There are at least three forms of cell multiplication, by fission, by germina- tion or budding, and by internal division or the indo- genous process, in which new cells are formed vsdthin a parent cell by a separation of the mass into a num- ber of distinct centers, each of which becomes a new and independent cell, as in the fecundated ovum. The fission process, or division by cleavage of a par- ent cell and its bioplasm into two or more parts, may be regarded as a modification of endogenous process, while budding or germination, consists in the pro- jection of a little process or bud from the parent cell, which is separated by the contraction of its base, when it is thrown off and becomes an independent cell. Dr. Beale says : ' ' Every living organism, plant, animal or man, begins its existence as a small particle of bioplasm or living cell. Every organic form, leaves, flowers, shells, and all varieties of ani- mals; and every tissue, cellular, vascular, hair, bone, skin, muscle and nerve originate by sub-division and multiplication or metamorphosis of bioplasm into formed material. It is evident, therefore, that there are different kinds of bioplasm indistinguishable by physics and chemistry." And thus, when we come to discriminate between animal and vegetable bio- plasts or cells, we find it exceedingly diflficult, for neither form nor chemical compositions, nor motive power affords sufficient grounds for discrimination. Yet when we consider the functions of bioplasm in its varied forms we may conveniently group all living beings into three great divisions, namely, fungi, plants and animals. The bioplasm of plants finds its pabulum in merely inorganic compounds, while that of animals is prepared for it directly or in- directly by the vegetable. The function of fungi tippears to be the decomposition of the formed matter of plants and animals by the means of fer- mentation or putrefaction, since the latter pro- cesses are dependent on the presence of fungi. Thus by bioplasm are the structures of plants and animals reared from inorganic materials, and by bioplasm are they broken down and restored to the in- animate world again. According lo the Atomic Theory, the world is composed of an innumerable quantity of atoms, mobile, infinitely small and distant from each other. These atoms are in a perpetual state of movement, rushing toward each other, repelling eadb 12 THE GROIVING WORLD. Otter, for they have their sympathies and their antipa- thies. It is from the diversity of their aflanities that result their exceedingly diversified mode of grouping and the variety of the external world. It is by their vibra- tions, their oscillations, that they reveal themselves to man by impressing his organs of sense. '* They have as essential qualities, inalterability, eternity. When thev gather together new bodies are formed; when they disaggregate, bodies previously existing dissolve and seem to vanish. They are unhewn stones wl have passed, pass, and are destined evermore to pass from one edifice to another. And thus all the phe- nomena, all the varied aspects, all the revolutions of the universe can be referred to simple atomic dis- placements." Reproduction in the higher organisms consist essentially of the production of two dis tinct elements, a germ-cell or ovum, and a sperm- cell or spermatozoid, by the contact of which the ovum is enabled to develop a new individual. Sometimes these elements are produced by dLfferenl parts of the same organism, in which case the sexes are said to be united, and the individual is called hermaphrodite, androgynous or monceceous, while in other instances the sexes are distinct and the species are called dioeceous. In ref^ard to the origin of life upon the earth, the prevailing opinion to-day ic that all life begins in a bioplast or cell ; that every bioplast known to man has been derived from a preceding bioplast Now the question occurs, Out or. what, then, came the first bioplast? Huxley says that life is the cause of organization, and not organization the cause of life. But if life may exist before organization, may it not exist aftei ; organization? Upon this subject the world is divided into two great classes, the Theistic and the Materialistic. The first makes God dii-ect and immanent in all natural laws, and every result of cosmic forces is attributed to Divine action. They contend that the earth having become changed from its original chaotic state by order of the Creator, that in obedience to the fiat of the Almighty the various forms of vegetable and animal life manifested themselves from the lowest organisms in the primal periods as the earth became fitted for their existence, to the more complex of succeeding periods. That in slow and solemn majesty, according to sacred history and geologic evidence, has period succeeded period, each in succession ushering in a higher and yet ^ higher scene of existence — mollusks, crustacje, fish, reptile and bird, the mamriferous quadruped, and finally rational, accountable man— and that several dynasties of the great living procession were introduced not in their lower but higher forms — ^the magnates or kings first making their appearance, while degeneration of species followed. They say with Prof. Dana, as de- clared in the closing part of his great work on Geology, that the first chapter of Genesis is thoroughly har- monious with geologic evidence and is both true and divine. The second class contend that there is nothing in the universe but matter and its laws — that there is no spiritual substance, and that what is called mind or soul in a man is but a mode of force and motion in matter. They teach that the soul is in some sense secreted by the brain, and that when the brain dissolves the soul is no more. The Evolution Theory is that the earth was aX one time an incandescent globe, but that in the course of time, after millions of ages, when the earth had cooled and become fitted for life, the first living organ- isms spontaneously organized themselves at the expense of mineral matter. They hold that all organic forms, from the lowest to the highest, have been developed pro- gressively from living microscopical particles spon- taneously organized. That the first beings were ex- ceedingly simple, consisting of a single cell, composed oi carbon, with an admixture of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur, and that these cells by their very composition possessed perception and will, and when properly united and nursed, in time became man through progressive development. This theory makes man descend step by step from the wonderfully com- plex organism of the present age down through the in- ferior animals, the ape, the porpoise, the frog, the her- ring, the mollusk or the assidian, to a small microscopic particle which in the primal period spontaneously organized itself, where we find the original ovum which millions of years afterwards developed into man. In this way the biblical account of man's creation is de- molished and the mystery of the universe explained by the evolution theory of life. Prof. TyndaU says : ''The matter of the animal bofly is that of inorganic nature. There is no substance in the animal tissues which is not primarily derived from the rocks, the air and the water. Are the forces of organic matter, then, different in kind from those of in- organic matter? The philosophy of the present day negatives the question. It is the compounding, in the organic world, of forces belonging equally to the in« organic, that constitute the mystery and miracle of vitality. Every portion of every animal body may be' reduced to purely inorganic matter. A perfect reversal of this process of reduction would carry us from the inorganic to the organic : and such a reversal is at least conceivable. The blood is the oil of the lamp of life ; the blood is consumed and the whole body, though more slowly than the blood, wastes also, so that after a cer- tain number of years it is entirely renewed. How is the sense of personal identity maintained across this flight of molecules ? To man as we know him, matter is ab- solutely necessary to consciousness ; but the matter of any period may be all changed, while consciousness ex- hibits no solution of continuity. Like changing sentinels, the oxygen, hydrogen and carbon that depart, seem to whisper their secrets to their comrades that arrive, and thus, while the Non-Ego shifts, the Ego remains intact. Consistency of form in the grouping of the molecules and not consistency of the molecules them- selves, is the correlative of this constancy of perception. Life a wave ' . hich in no two consecutive moments oL its existence is composed of the same particles. Sup- posing, then, the molecules of the human body, instead of leplacing others, and thus renewing a pre-existinflf lorm, to be gathered first-hand from nature and pw together in the same relative position as those which they occupy in the body. Supposing them to have the self-same forces and distributiou of forces, the self- same motions and disposition of motions — would this organized concourse of molecules stand before us as % sentient-thinking human being ? Or supposing a planei carved from the sun set spinning round its axis md r©» volving around the sun at a distance from him equal to that of our earth— would one of the consequencesof its re- frigeration be the development of oreranic forms ? I leaa r,o the aflarmative. Structural forces are certal nly In tbe laass, whether or not those forces reach the extent of tor ming a plant or an animal. In the amorphous drop of Water lie latent all the marvels of crystalline force | and who will set limits to the possible play of mole- cules in a cooling planet? As regards knowledge, physical science is polar. It in one sense knows, or is 'destined to know everything ; in another sense it knows nothing. Science understands much of the intermediate phase of things that we call nature. Who or what made the Sun and gave his rays their alleged power ? Who or Vhat made and bestowed upon the ultimate particles of matter their wondrous power of varied interaction? Science does not know ; the mystery though pushed back remains unaltered." But physiology having confessed that it is unable to define Life, appeals to chemistry for a solution of the question. But the philosophic poet warns us — "From higher judgment seat make no appeals to lower," and such appeal, from higher to lower, is the appeal of physiology to chemistry. No analysis of a nerve fibre will ever throw light on sensibility. The scalpel wUl not tell how the cerebral substance Is affected in 'thought. Nor can physiology tell us how it is that a small microscopic cell which we find in the egg of an animal contains potentially a living creature, and which will reproduce not only the form, features, statute and specific attributes of the parent animals, but also many of its acquired habits, tendencies and tricks. Has chemistry in the whole extent of Its domain, anything analogous to this ? Can chemistry furnish us with even an approach to an explanation of it ? Chemical analysis may conduct us to the threshold of life, but at the thresh- old all its guidance ceases. There a new order of com- plications intervene, a new series of laws has to be elicited, for we have reached an unknown territory, and everthing beyond is an impenetrable my&ievj. Owen thinks life in its simplest forms may, perhaps, be compared to the power a magnet exerts when it at- tracts certain particles to itself and rejects others. But is this all we have in life ? You may change a magnet from state to state, as you change water to gases, and gases to water. You may braid and unbraid the theory of any inorganic whip-lash again and again, but once uu- THE GROIVING WORLD. 13 braid any living strands, and mere Is no braiding tnem It IS admitted now by biologists that in the small centre of bioplasm, which is the foundation, the corner- stone of life, a change occurs which is a sealed volume to the deepest physical science. Here at one moment we have the not-living matter and at the next moment the livin and who can explain the mysterious trans- mutation oi the not living into living matter ? In the longu .ge of the Rev. Joseph Cooke, to whom I am in- debted in this connection : " Take the twittering swal- lows under the brown eaves, or your eagle on the cliff, or your lion in his lair ; the egg in each case, is the source of life ; and when quickening begins, there is nothing to be seen at the centre of the egg but this structureless, colorless, viscid bioplasm. Nevertheless, it divides and sub-divides ; and weaves in the one case a lion, and in another a swallow, and in another case an eagle ; and 1 affirm, in the name of all reason, that from the very first, the plan of the whole organism must be In view somewhere. You know that when a temple is built, the plan is in the comer-stone. You know that when the weaver strikes his shuttle for the first time in the finest produce of his art, the whole plan of the figures of the weh is before him. We see herp the bioplasts weaving their threads ; we see thcEU co- ordinating them as in the one case, to make your swallow, in another case to make your eagle, in another case to make your lion, and in another case to make your man, and v/hy shall we not say, following the law, that every change must have an adequate cause, that some- where and somehow there is here what all this mechan- ism needs— Forecast." But what about man's descent from the simplest of organisms through the ape ? Virchow, perhaps the greatest living authority, says : " As a matter of fact there exists as yet a sharp line of demucation between man and the ape. We cannot teach, we cannot pronounce it to be a conquest of science that man decends from the ape or from any other animal. Let us then in what we have now to say, keep pro- visionally to the Quarternary man whom we really find. When we study this fossil man of the Quarternary period, who must of course, have stood comparatively near our primitive ancestors in a series of descent, or rather of ascent, we always find a man just such as men are now. As recently as ten years ago, whenever a skull was found in a peatbog, or in pile "dwellings, or in ancient caves, the people fancied they saw in it a wonderful token of a savage state still quite undeveloped. They smelt out the very scent of the iipe. Only the trail has gradually been lost more and more. The old troglodytes, pile-villagers and bog-people have quite respectable so- ciety. They have heads so large that many living persons would be only too happy to possess them. On the whole, we must really acknowledge that there is a complete absence of any fossil type of a lower stage in the development of man. Nay, if we gather together the whole sum of the fossil men hitherto known, and put them parallel with those of the present time, we can decidedly pronounce that there are among living men a great number of individuals who show a relatively inferior type than there are among fossils known up to this time." Prof. Dana says : " For the development of man, gifted with high reason and will, and thus made a power above Nature, there was required, as Wallace has urged, a special act of a being above Nature, whose supreme will is not only the source of natural law, but the work- ing force of Nature herself. This I still hold." Summarizing, then, the latest science, we find tnat spontaneous generation does not occur — that the be- ginning of all life, vegetable or animal, is a bioplast or cell — that this bioplast always arises from a previous bioplast — that bioplasts are capable of self-subdivision, and that each portion of a self-divided bioplast has the same powers as :he parent b oplast — that the bioplasts convert inorganic not living matter into living matter, and living matter into formed material, as secretion, tissue, bone, musclo, artery and nerve, thus not only weaving cell membranes, but also weaving all the tissues O- the organism in accordance with the forecast of the 'rreat Architect in the beginning— and, finally, that the theory of man's descent from the ape, as admitted by the evolutionists themselves, is a deductive theory from ircumstantial evidence alone, and not inductive — a re- sult of speculation and not of observation, and entirely unsrpported by facts. POWER OF ELECTRICITY, AND THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH. As wc stand in the workshop viewing the ponderous mass- es of machinery kept in motion by some monster steam engine, or by the railway when the heavy train is rushing past with the speed of the wind, we naturally ask ourselves, what can be more pwerful than this? Again, as wc witness the ef- fect of a cannon shot thrown from a mile away, we are almost ready to believe that gunpowder must be composed of the most powerful ingredients to be found in the field of Nature. These impressions, however, are but momentary ; for when the angry storm cloud gathers, and sets the elements in commotion, — when the bnght lightning flashes vividly in the heavens, and the thunderbolt descends to the earth, we behold a power more potent than these, and we realize the in- significance of the power of man, A few weeks since, (November, 1875,) during the passage of a severe thunder storm, it was my lot to witness the mighty power of the disturbed elements. It was in the evening; and as the inky cloud moved up to the zenithj the dazzling flashes of lightning followed each other in rapid suocession. while the roar of the heavy thunder was incessant, and like the ar- tillery of war. All at once there came a blinding glare of lightning that seemed to set the whole world in a blaze. The crash of the thunder (hat followed was instantaneous and aw- ful ;— jarring the solid earth till the house seemed to rock, and the windows rattled in their casements. Two or three days afterwards, 1 beheld the work the thunderbolt had wrought. It had struck a chestnut tree, about forty roositive Bkxxd the neq alive. When a body contains anoverplas of elec* tricity, it is said to be positive ; and when it contains a les& amount than what is natural, it is said to be negative. When the sky is partially overcast with clouds, and currents of air are moving in difterent directions, changing the tempera- ture of the atmospheref rom warm to cold and from cold to warm, the electricity is excited, and changed also, from positive to negative., axi^ from negative to positive again, in rapid succes- sion. As an ove, charged cloud approaches another that is un- dercharged, a struggle for equihbrium ensues ; and the forked lightning darts from the ;?o;?ii'ii;e to the negative cloud, with deafening detonations of thunder. Occasionally, it descends like a dazzling chain to the earth, when it is often attended with disastrous consequences. A terrible case of lightning, attended ^Ith fatal results, oc- curred only about four miles from my residence, in the latter part of August, 1870. The family, consisting of Mr. James Eosengrant, his young wife, and a 5'ounger brother of the lady, had just retired. Never in my life do I remember see- ing such a fearful display of atmospheric electricity, as on that dreadful night. The whole heavens seemed almost in one continual blaze; while the angry roar of the thunder, caused the solid earth to quake and tremble. Suddenly a bolt from the storm-cloud descended upon the doomed dwelling. It struck the chimney, and tearing off" a part, descended through the olank partition at the foot of the bedroom. Here it appa- rently turned aside ; and striking upon the feet of Mr. Rosen- grant, followed his body to his head, when it descended through the pillow, rending the cloth and scattering the feath- ers, after which it tore its way through the side of the house to the ground outside. Of course every person in the house, was instantly rendered unconscious. Some time during the night, Mrs. Rosengrant called to her brother, who was sleep- ing in an adjoining apartment, and bade him come to her. He arose, and proceeding to her room, lit the lamp. She had been vomiting, and now appeared unconscious. He said James appeared very pale, and still, and as he touched his arm it was cold and stiff". He thought things did not look right, but what was the matter he could not tell; and in a senii-dream-like state, which made everything appear like eome horrid night- mare, he blew out the light and mechanically went back to bed. All night long Mrs. Rosengrant lay upon the cold arm of her dead husband. In the morning she roused up. and 14 THE GROWING WORLD. ehaking Mm l)y the shoulders, exclaimed ; "WTiy James it is time you were up lOHg ago." Suddenly she stopped, and gazed upon the pallid face before her. An awful truth burst upon her mind. He was dead 1 With a wild shriek she leaped from the bed, hurried on her dress, and fled frantically down the road. At the distance of thirty or forty rods she fell uncon- scious to the ground ; and for thirty-six hours she knew not her nearest friends. For many days her life was despaired of ; she finally recovered, however, and is now living with her sec- ond husband. We often hear it said that lightning will leave no mark on flesh; this, however, is not always true. The arms, and bosom, and head of Mrs. Rosengrant, was frightful- ly burned ; causing terrible sores, which required many weeks to heal. Thus the lightning had left Its mark ; and its course may be seen upon her body to this day. in the shape of ugly scars which she will carry with her to the grave. Hence, we in- fer that where persons are said to be strucK by lightning, and no marks appear, they were only shocked by its near approach, , and were not directly struck by the bolt itself. The above appears almost like a miraculous escape from death ; and yet is revertheless trus; tLe iady in question being a cousin to the writer, and the facts of the case coming under his own im- mediate observation. In company with many others, I my- self visited the scene of the disaster. The course of the bolt was plainly shown by the shattered ceilings and walls, while the floors were covered with a debris of feathers, plastering, broken lath, and splinters, fearful to behold. A person struck or shocked by lightning, never sees the flash, or hears the report ; and where death ensues, it is per- fectly painless ; every nerve being instantly paralyzed, and the machinery of life hushed without a struggle, or move of a muscle. Just here a q[uestion arises which may perhaps be worth while to investigate. May not the act of drawing in the breath at the time, have something to do with the nature of the shock ? In case of a person being shocked, the beslf thing that can be done, is to pour cold water upon him a^ quickly as possible. * t The safest place in a severe thunder storm, is upon a feather bed in the middle of the room, as far as possible from win- dows, open doorways, stoves, fireplaces, or bright metallic substances. The cellar is unsafe; for if the bolt should hap. pen to ascend from the earth to the clouds, as is sometimes the case, the basement would sufi'er most. If out of doors, avoid standing near iron railings, or under trees ; as lightning is more liable to strike metallic substances, and elevated ol? jects. The barn where much hay, grain, and vegetables is stored, is also an unsafe place. The loudest thunder can probably be heard to the distance of twelve or fifteen miles. The distance ean be determined very nearly by observing the time that elapses between the flash and the report, and allowing five seconds to the mile for the passage of the sound. The sound of the thunder appears to start with the electric flash, and to follow it through its course. Some claim that the sound is produced by vibrations of the atmosphere, caused by the rapid passage of the electric spark ; while others maintain that the air is burned, or forced aside by its passage, and the sound of the thunder is ;m'oduced by the surrounding air, rushing in to fill the void. The real cause has probably, never been satisfactorily explained. When the soil is wet. and well soaked with water, the Itght- ning generally plays among the clouds ; few bolts descending to the earth, and those commonly light. Hence, the greater danger is to be apprehended in times of dry weather. For the Lightning Rod, the world is indebted to the talented spirit of Benjamin Franklin. They are best when made of copper ; but if composed of iron, they should be at least three-fourths of an inch in diameter, and in all cases, terminated upon the top by a bright platinum point. When of sufficient size, and proper- ly put up, they are believed to protect a circle, the diameter of which is four times the height that the rod ascends above the building. Thus, if the rod ascends six feet above the top of the roof, it will protect a space twelve feet from it, in every di^ rection ; or a circle twenty-four feet across. Care should be taken that it be surrounded by wood or glass at the points of support, and that its lower end extend into the ground deep enough to reach constant moisture ; otherwise it will probably prove a source of danger, instead of protection. The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights, which are often so brilliant in the Northern regions, is supposed to be the work- ing of electricity. Some tell us that the sheet lightning so often seeHyduring the warm summer nights, are silent flashes of electricity : but does it not appear probable that it may be the reflection of lightning in some far ofi" storm-cloud ; which may be below the horizon, perhaps a hundred and fifty miles away. Similar states of electricity repel each other, and opposite states of electricity will attract each other. If a piece of glass or sealing wax be briskly rubbed with a silk handkerchief or piece of flannel, they will acquire more than their natural amount of electricity and are then said to he 2)osiiively electri- fied ; while the silk or flannel having parted with a portion, are said to be negatively electrified. The sealing wax and glass will now attract or draw to them light bodies near by ; such as feathers, bits of paper, pith balls, etc. In the same man- ner the clouds are drawn towards the spot where the greatest amount of electricity is, and the storm-cloud rapidly gathers. The war of the elements now commence, and continue until the whole mass is uniformly electrified; and then the light- ning ceases, and the clouds instead of drawing together repel each other, the shower breaks up, and is said to nave rain'^' out. If the fur of a cat's back be gently stroked with the hand, in a dark room, a sparkling and crackling will be ob- served. It is caused by the interchange between the positive electricity of the fur and the negative electricity of the hand ; and is really nothing more or less than lightning in miniature. For the purpose of developing and accumulating electricity, we have the Electrical Machine; consisting of a glass wheel or plate revolving against rubber, silk, etc. • and by means of this, and the Leyden jar which is charged by it, many amus- ing and wonderful experiments may be performed. The earth, metals, water, the human body, etc., are good conductors of electricity; and sulphur, sealing-wax, feathers, silk, glass,' etc., are non-conductors. Now if a conducting substance be completely surrounded by non-conducting substances, none of the electricity communicated to it can pass away. It is , now said to be insulated^ and charged. / If a piece of tin foil be placed over the centre of each side' of a pane of glass, and a prime conductor of an electrical ma- chine be brought in contact with one of these, it will contain jwsitive electricity, while the other will contain the negative: ; for equilibrium cannot ensue through the non-conducting glass. If, now, a person step up and place the finger of one) and upon the foil upon one side, and the finger of the other hand upon the foil on the opposite side of the glass, a connect tion will be made ; and as the fluids rush together to equalize.' the person will receive an electric shock. If a person stand on a stool with glass legs he is said to be insulated ; and if while in this position he touches the prime conductor of an electrical machine in motion, he can be filled with electricity until the very hairs of his head stand in all directions. Should another person dare approach and touch him while in this sit- uation, a spark would pass between the two, and the result Avould be almost as though he had been struck by lightning. Again, should the insulated person raise his hand to the open- ing of a gas-pipe, there would be a flash, and the escaping gas would be set on fire in an instant. Gunpowder may also be iernited by electricity ; and by its aid water can be decomposed and separated into its two elemental constituents, oxygen and hydrogen. If these two elements be now put into a strong glass vessel, and an electric spark passed through them, they will instantly combine with a sharp explosion, and water will be formed again. For the more powerful electrical experi- ments we have a combination of Leyden jars, termed a bat- tery. The discharge of the Harlem battery, Holland, is s&\