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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1880)
March, 1880. THE WEST SHORE. 75 A SUCKING FISH. A remora or sucking tiah, probably Rtmora acobiMi, was not very long since taken from the body of a shark to which it had attachod itself, and which had wanderod into our bav. The bohineidio or remoraa are a very curioua tribe of fishes. It ia by no meana easy to say what ia the true habitat of any of the species, for they fasten themaolves by their aucker to any largo awimming or floating object, auch as a shark or a ship, for the remora ian't particular in ita choice, and allow themaclves to be carried wherever that object goer., ao that the same apeciua may be taken in localitiea thouaanda of milea apart But the remora ia not a fixture like a barnacle; it can looae ita hold at pleaaure, and ita object in attaohing itself to a large carnivorous liah or to a ahip, ia the aame aa that which attaches a certain claaa of human beings to their rioher or their more onergetic neighbors. It ia there for what it can get for the crumbs and morsels of loaves and liahes which it has not the ability to catch entire or aliva. The sucker ia not upon the under aide like that of the family of fiahoa known aa eielop Uridiz, of which we have two apeoiea in thia bay, but is upon the back of the head, and con aista of a aerieaof parallel tranaverse horizontal bars within a border or frame, and reaembling nothing ao muoh as a section of a window blind. The action of these laminiu, the upper edge of which can bo raised or lowered ao aa to change the angle, createa the vacuum whioh enables the creature to adhere. Precisely the same ar rangement of transverse parallel lamina' occurs upon the feet of a large tribe of small lizards known ai Qeokoea, abundant in tropical regions. By them the Geckoes oan walk along walla aud on ceilinga with the greatest aasuranco. If now we look more closely at the remora, we shall find that in its gouoral characteristics it resembles that large ulass of tishea which have tho anterior part of their doraal fin 00111- oaed of spinous raya, aud the posterior part of aoft aud jointed raya; yet, curioualy enough, it ha po apinea upon ita lark, but a aoft-rayed fiu only. What baa become of tho Hit. or suinoua dorsal ? The answer will bo given by the encker, which ia aimply a mod iliod llrstd or Hal, every bar or lamina representing a ray. The sucker it in fact a beautiful example of that adaptation of existing parts to new uaea which abound in organic life, and which are so many proofs of the evolutional unity of living beings. When, in a given tribe of creatures having a certain definite structure, the habits and envi ronment of an animal necessitate a change in that structure, nature does not create a new or gan, but altera an old one. The remora, un able to com pete with the swifter denixens of the sea, gradually became more and more of a com mensal or haogor-on, and gradually became more adapted for auoh a life by the peculiar development of ita first dorsal lin. In tho cyclopterida or lump-suckers the same end is attained by the union of the ventrals into a cir cular sucking disk. To give an example among mammals, the higher monkeys are specialised for climbing by the power of grasping poaaeeaed by all four of their extremities, which thus become hands. In many of the lower, whioh have the thumb so aborted that the other fingers can only take a hook-like grasp, the tail oomea into use as a fifth hand. The arboreal sloths, whose clumsy paws are quite a contrast to the hands of 'the monkeys, hold to the branches by their long reversed curved claws, which form a powerful hook, and most other climbing mammals ascend by the hold obtained upon the ineualitiea of the surface by the sharp olawa of all four of their feet W.N. Lockington, in S. f. Seitnet ANOTHKR TUNNKL PROJKCT. Aa a rival projeot to the Simplon tunnel, tho tunneling of Mont Klanc is proposed aa an al ternative which possesses aeveral decided ad vantages over the Simplon route, which Wal thought to furnish the boat practical route from I'aria to Hrindiai, by way of Pontaolior and I.auaanne. The now project ia pronounoed to be entirely fcaaiblo by French engineera who have proposed it, and is said to be receiving favorable consideration. Contrary to general opinion on the subject, the tunneling of Mont Blanc is declared to be an easier undertaking than that of tho Simplon ( tho eatimatua of coat for executing tho work lieing, iu tho case of the Simplon, l.lb',000,000 francs, aud in tho case of Mont Itlano only 7!i,O00,00O. Furthermore, it ia claimed that tho Mont Hlano tunnel will make tho journey from Paris to (lenoa 07 kilo meters shorter, and from Paris to Milan, 44 kilometers shorter than by the proposed Sim plon 1 onto. The location of the tunnel, which meets with favor from ita advocates, ia aaid to be from Chamounix to Courinsyiur. Our au thority doea not go into further details; but 1 lie project haa met with aomo remonatrance on sent 1 mental grounds, Wo reproduce tho fol lowing all'eoting lines, which vividly 10 all the pioturu of Mark Twain weeping over tho grave of Adam: "The audacity of modern engineering haa culminated in a projected attempt on Mont Blanc. It ia had enough that tho once virgin -111 it. ahoulii be annually dellled by cockney foot; but that the awful myatoriea of ita rocky foundation ahould lie invaded by awarma of rudo 'navvies' ia paat belief, yet it ia aeriously contemplated." Tiik Thirmohlk. Among the recent inven tions by Mr. Kilison, who, it scorns, is not alto gether absorbed in his electric light experi ments, is that of what ho calls the thermo pile, dosigned for thu measurement of inliuitesi mal degrees of heat lie doacriliea the instru ment in the followiug words: "It oonsista of a carlHin button placed between two metalliu plates. A current of electricity is passed through one plate, then through tho carbon and throuuh the other plate. A piece of hard rub ber or of gelatine is ho supported as to press against these plates. Thu whole ia then placed in connection with a galvanometer and an elec tric battery. Meat cauaoa the atrip of hard rub ber to expand and preaa the platoa clour to gether on the earlmn, allows more current to pass through and defleota the neodlo of the gal vanometer. Cold decreases tho pressure. Moist ure near the strip of gelatine can Iki measured in the aame way by increaaing or decreasing the pressure, and accordingly deflecting the needle. By means of this apparatus, or one combined with sensitive electrical galvanomn. ters, it is poaaililo to measure the millioneth pail of a degree Fahrenheit Infinitesimal changes in the moieture of the atmoaphere can be indicated in the aamo way changes which are a hundred thouaaud time loss in quantity than those that can be indicated by the present barometer. It will thus foretell a storm much more readily. The carbon button I have in this instrument is of lampblack burned from rigo Una." A mono iU many object of hiatorical interest, the Paria Aatmnomioal Museum contains a pair of Mercator'a globes, dating from the middle of the sixteenth century. That figuring the earth is the tint on whioh meridian of longitn le and latitude were laid down. It ia reported that the great equatorial lake of Africa are all to be found on it Tin Jan Irmttl report that the coinage of silver at the mint at Osaka is going on, such is the demand, at the daily rate of 10,1100 piece, and 1,000,000 monthly, with a demand greater than the mint with ft present capacity oan supply. DOMF.8TIC UKCIPKS. Viknna Ykaht. -Vienna bread and Vienna beer are said to be tho best in the world. Hoth owe their superiority to the yeast used, whioh is itrcltarod in fh foil com, barley and ryo (all sprouting) are pow dered mid mixed, and then macerated in water at a temperature of from 149" to 107 Kahr. Saocharilication take place in a few hours, le u the liquor ia racked off and allowed to clear, aud feriuontatiou ia aat up by the help o( a minute miantity of any nrdiuary yeeat Car bonk acid i disengaged during tho proocaa with ao much rapidity that tho globule of yeast are thrown up by the gas, and remain lloatiug on the eurfaoe, where they form a thiok scum. Tho latter is carefully removed, and constitutes the beat and purest yeast, which, when drained ami compressed in a hydraulic prosa, can lie kept from ti to 13 day, according to tllO season. Oatmkai. PnrnHNii. -The following ia nw mot hod of pi . paring oatmeal pudding, and dif fers somen hat from that in general uae. Take nno pound beat oatmeal, one quart new milk, wanned. Stir the oatmeal into the milk, and let It stand over night. Then butter a basin, put in the oatmeal and milk, atir in a spoonful of halting powder, and afterward ti over the basin a well floured cloth and boll for two hours. If eaten ns pudding proper, surva it up with custard sauce, currant jelly or treacle. If It li to be eaten, in place of meat for good moat It ia uae tomato eatioe. With a sufficiency of tomato aauce it will make a nice meal for three or four adults and aeveral children, ami give a moat w boh- e ami nutritious diah at a very small coat. A very good variety ia mail by using half oatmeal and half whuatmeal. 0r imiftfoicii VcffjrdiA. Ohamiik I'm. 1 l ake aix or seven line, large oranges, roll them uudor your hand on a table to increase the Juice, ami than sqiiecso them through a strainer over half a pound or more of crushed sugar, Mix the orauge Juice aud the sugar thoroughly together. Break twelve egg into a large, shallow pan, and beat them till thick and smooth; then atir in, gradually, the orange juioe ami sugar. Line aom petty Mil with good puff jiaatu, having llrat buttered them inaidei theu fill with the orange mixture and act them immediately iiitn a brick oven. Hake the tart a light browu, and when done est them to cool. When quite onld, take them out of the putt y pans, put them on a large dish, and grate sugar over their top. All tarts are best the day they are baked, but they should not be sent to the table warm. Tai'Iih'A. Tapioca ia a nutritloua and easily digest, d article of diet, anil it with rloe are hot h . specially adapted to accompany the fruit diet for prospective mothers, My favorite way of cooking tapioca is to soak a teaoupful ovsr night or several hours In a quart of water) then eld a pint of lieh milk, a little salt, and cook by putting it in a tin pail with a tight cover, anil setting the pad in boiling water; let It bod an hour; eometime I add raisins. Hsrv eithar hot or cold, with cream and sugar or fruit A nice diah for breakfaat or lunch may be made of -.t tie bread, in the following manner 1 Make a thin Utter of one egg, one-half cup of milk, a little aalt and flour. Dip the alio of bread In thii, and fry a uio brown. Hsrve hot, with butter ami sugar or syrup. To Mak (Iai.i. Soap, 'ball snap, excellent fur washing silks and ribliona, may lie made by heating one pound of ooonanut oil to W Kahr. , into which one-half a pound of caustic soda is gradually stirred. To this, on half apoaod of Venice turpentine, previously warmed in another vessel, la added. The kettle is allowed to eland for four hoars, subject to a gentle heat, after whioh the fire I increased until the content are perfectly elear. One pound of ni gall, fol lowed by two pounds of oastile snap, ia than mixed 10, and lb., whole allowed to cool, when it may be oat Into cake.