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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1914)
t ' THE SUNDAY OREGOXTAy. PORTLAND. JUNE 1911. . 3 " 1 i EMARKABLE FACT. EWEST SCIEMTIFEC MSCOVEREE S AMP M Here Is One of the Latest Movie Thrillers DROPPING. FROM AN. FEATS called impossible In real life are only problems for the directors of moving picture companies. Flesh and blood detectives do not alight on the top of a moving train from an aeroplane. The detective has too much regard for his safety, . if granted he has the nerve and the ability to carry out the stunt In a film recently completed abroad Take Off Hat or Put It On in Bathtub PROFESSOR FRANZ NAGEL SCHMIDT. of Berlin, Germany, after pointing out the poisons that lurk in all anti-fat panaceas, declares that he has for nearly two years em ployed an electric battery for the re duction of superflous flesh. This elec tric battery produces a "foradic" cur rent which sets the little fibres and strands of your muscles in rhythmic, regular, harmonic vibrations. These muscular movements are attuned to the normal rhythm of a resting muscle Jn' such a way that the muscular mo tions occur without fatigue to the hulk of huge flesh. Briefly, with this new kind of elec tricity. Professor Nagelschmldt 'is able to exercise the muscles hidden away by clumps of fat in such a manner that even the laziest theater-goer, baseball fan or lobster-palace diner fails to feel tired. Furthermore, the circum ambient flesh ceases to dangle as an' obstruction to the blood supply, the heart or the other vital tissues. With this novel treatment for obesity the breathing is undisturbed, the pulse remains normal, and all the bodily ac tivities remain unaffected. Even a fraction of the same muscular gymnas tics under the old methods for grow ing thin, such as rolling, crawling, punching the bag and walking, influ ence the heart action and the pulse un favorably. This latest plan prevents all of Mils, does away with "that tired feeling" and eliminates the oleaginous excess. Fat. then, according to this "Nagel schmldt electric current," can be turned off and on at will. You may take on adipose or eliminate as much as you please. The only question seems to be one of submitting to the battery. Another method of reducing fat to a minimum, available for many who cannot be placed in touch with this new electricity, is to artificially pro duce a current of electricity in your bathtubs. Although it is not so rea sonable nor yet absolutely explainable upon our knowledge of the impene trability of the human skin, yet It Is a well-proved fact that if Epsom salts or sulphate of magnesium is added to the water of your full bath, in the course of a few months from 15 to 30 pounds will be eliminated. Whether this Is a mysterious electro lytic action that is set up between your skin and water, or merely a powerful assault of the salt upon the usually impervious skin, has not been posi tively determined. The fact, however, remains that Epsom salts in the bath tub aids materially in reducing your avoirdupois. It Is evident from these two pro cedures that corpulent persons need not expend all sorts of money upon every published anti-fat remedy. It is far better to apply these certainly harmless, cleanly and non-fatiguing methods discovered by medical men of acknowledged training than to pick up every catchpenny panacea with no other support than the emblazoned words of an advertising writer. Fish That Sing and Grunt PISHES have often been referred to as "voiceless, emotionless crea tures," but scientific investigation has demonstrated that like land ani mals they are largely swayed by the same emotions, and that in a limited way they give expression thereto. There are more than 300 pieces of fish which are known to produce sound. One particular kind of fish, which are railed "malgres." emit sounds having a duration of about 25 seconds, and also various notes, usually degenerating Into a mere humming, either from excess or want of intensity. When these fish are traveling in shoals the sounds given out by them may be heard from a depth of 20 fathoms. More than once it has been suggested that the story of the sirens had its origin in the ut terances of these fish. . When captured, the scad, or horse mackerel, the globe flsh. the grunt, the pig-fish and the hog-flsh all emit sounds resembling the grunt of a pis; while one. well known along the At lantic Coast as the croaker, derives its name from the croak It gives when taken into a boat. The barbel and the carp also croak when taken from the water. There la a specie of "sea-frog" found by the natives of Malabar, and 4 - " AEROPLANE. ON .TO Ji TRAIN. a detective did pursue a train in an aeroplane, carrying out the story of tne piay and furnishing a feature wnich, to say the least, is novel and thrilling. This Btunt was hard to carry out, as the man taking the part of the detective rode in the aeroplane as a passenger. The air machine was directed by an unusually skillful and daring aviator, ' any other type of so-called on account of the noise It makes when captured. The red guar nard has been dubbed the "sea-cock" by reason of its crowing. The armado, a sllurold fish found in the Rio Parana, is the most remark able for the harsh, grating sound it emits when caught with hook and line. It is said that this noise can be heard distinctly while the fish is yet beneath the surface. There is a fish in the Tagus that emits sounds resembling the vibrations of a deep-toned bell, gong, or pedal pipe of an organ. Herrings, when the net has been drawn around them, have been observed to do the same, and sim ilar accounts are given of the river bullhead. An amphibious siluroid flsh. on being taken into the hand, is said to shriek, and certain of the blennles emit similar sounds. Build Artificial Islands to Construct Bridge ITH the completion of the Pamban channel viaduct con necting Tonitural in India with Pamban on the Island of Rameswaram the first link has been forged in the railway line between the south end of the Indian peninsula and the Island of Ceylon. This viaduct is 6776 feet long. Rail connection is made across the island to Danlshkodi and then by steamer across a 22-mile strait to the Island of Manar, to which point the Ceylon railway system has been extended. To facilitate the work of sinking the bridge cylinders an artificial island, made of coral boulders and concrete in sacks, was created, one on each side of the stretch of water. This bridge was made by Indian labor, under two contractors. There was intense and sometimes by no means friendly rivalry between the two crews of workers. Gold-Plated Door Knobs in Fifth'Avenue Flats IN SOME of the J25,000-a-year flats 'b Fifth avenue. New York, the hardware is gold plated. Hinges, window brackets, fixtures, door han dles, key plates, etc, are all treated with, gold before being placed in posi tion. All that is required to keep the gold in fine condition is a slight rub bing with a piece of dry leather. No polish is necessary and the woodwork near this yellow hardware Is never tarnished. Silver plating on white metal is used on the rim in the dining-room. Nine coats of paint are spread on the walls of the dining-rooms in these mag nificent flats, the same care being used as with the paneling of a motor car. The walls, instead of being highly glazed, have a soft, silky finish. Jewels to Be Fed and Bathed TO increase the splendor of their toilettes, Creole beauties make use of the Cucuyos, a large spe cies of firefly, found in the tropical forest of South America. Strange Jew els, which must be fed, and must be bathed twice a day, and Incessantly taken care of to prevent them from dying. The Indians catch these insects by balancing hot coals , in the air, at the end of a stick, to attract them, which proves that the light which these in sects diffuse is to attract. Once in the hands of the women, the Cucuyos are shut up in. little cages of very fine wire, and fed on fragments of .sugarcane. When the ladies wish to adorn themselves with these living ani mals, they place them in little bags of light tulle, which they arrange with taste on their skirts. There is another way of mounting the Cucuyos. They pass a pin, without hurting them, under the thorax, and stick this pin in their hair. The re finement of elegance consists in com bining with the -Cucuyos humming birds and real diamonds, which produce a dazzling head-dress. Sometimes, Imprisoning these ani mated flames in gauze, the Mexican women twist them into ardent neck laces, or else roll them round their waists like a- fiery girdle. They go to the ball under a diadem of living topazes, of animated emeralds and this diadem blazes or pales ac cording as the Insect is fresh or fa tigued. When they return home, after' the soiree, they make them take a bath, which refreshes them, and put them hack again into the cage, which sheds during the whole night a soft light In the chamber. operator, of course, being out of the question. The aeroplane soared above the train for a minute and then, with the swift ness of an eagle, swooped down upon the moving train. The aviator man aged to keep his machine just above the last coaches of the train. He was compelled to keep the equilibrium of the plane while the detective clambered out and dropped on the roof of one of the coaches. In other sections of the film the sleuth Is shown making his way. into the coach, where he gets the passenger he is pursuing. In this country Rodman Law has made a name for himself by all sorts of daring feats, such as jumping from Brooklyn bridge. New York, and per forming rare feats as a steeplejack. And that is by no means all. Law has to his credit such little accomplish ments as climbing up the side of a skyscraper, being shot out of a cannon, and then, to cool off, leaping from the top of the Statue of Liberty in the harbor of New York. Broken bones and sprains have not deterred him. neither have the pleadings of his wife. He has forgotten what it is to fear. Five years from now it is reasonable to suppose that the film companies will be calling upon their men to do the im possible, but just what the stunts will be no one even can guess. It would seem that before that time all the dare devil tricks known to human ingenuity will have been exhausted. Soldiers Killed by Wind From Projectiles in War THAT the wind of projectiles causes the death of soldiers is a theory advanced by Professor Laurent, of Brussels, who read a paper on this subject before the French Academy of Science. During the Balkan war Pro fessor Laurent said he had noticed sol diers who, seemingly, were troubled form cerebro-spinal disturbances, al though having escaped a bullet Some times the victims became cataleptic and in less serious cases there were symp toms of fainting, tingling sensations and partial paralysis. In Instances where this mysterious infliction caused death, autopsies were held and these invariably revealed no nervous lesions. Then It occurred to Professor Laurent that the variations of atmospheric pressure caused by the passing of the projectile had an effect upon the nerve cells, causing Inhibition. Dr. Matignon. during the Russia Japan war, reported similar cases, par ticularly after a severe bombardment. As projectiles gain not only In size but in speed as the years go on, just what the toll from wind will be in the next great conflict is hard to forecast. Even the Birds Get Divorces Nowadays DIVORCES and "advanced women" are known to bird life. Mrs. Olive Thorn Miller, who has made a careful study of the domestic life of birds, says that marriage among them is noted for its stability and joyousness and that the feathered Darby or Joan will make sacrifices to maintain the family life. She cites the case of a female bird which re turned to its mate, preferring life be hind bars with a loved one to lonely freedom in the woods. "I am sorry to say, however," says Mrs.' Miller, "that in spite of this usually happy state of domestic af fairs, there are occasional unmistak able instances of bird divorce. Some times it is the husband who tires of his spouse and drives her away to make room for a new bride. Again it is the wife, who, perhapB, makes up her mind that the father of the family is not providing properly for its wants, and rejects him on that score. In one case of the kind which I watched I am sure this was the. trouble. The husband was a cripple, from an injury to 'his leg, and was certainly rather helpless. But he opposed vehemently all efforts to drive him away, and succeeded in maintaining his authority until be was again able to care for his household. And apparently some female birds have advanced notions In regard to women's rights, and a dozen have been grouped around one poor hunted male, who looked in . vain for a way to es cape, but found none. Furthermore, among birds the choice seems to rest with the female, and the male can court as ardently as he pleases, but his wooing will be in vain unless the fair one is persuaded that he is the proper one to share her home with her. Silk Dresses Now Being Made From Wood THAT silk dresses are now being, made from wood may be news to many. With the aid of special ma chinery and chemicals wonders are ac complished in rivaling the patient toil of the silkworm. So complete is the process that a spruce log thrown Into a great vat emerges not long after wards as shiny and silky thread. The wood is first cut into thin theets. after which It is put into a tank for chemical treatment It is chewed and mashed by the machinery and "di gested" by the strong chemicals until it closely resembles molasses in color and consistency. The solution is then forced through well-heated tubes, each with an outlet containing Just as many perforations as there are to be fila ments in the thread. Simultaneously it is sprayed with a chemical which "fixes" the thread, shrinking and hard ening it But to the wearer of silk, a garments , made from woodpulp looks every bit as good as the products of the silkworm. An Inventor wears a fancy waistcoat of pine wood fiber, and looks forward to the time when wooden suits will be generally worn. The wood is. of course, not in its usually crude form, but It Is first reduced to pulp, then drawn into threads, and woven like cloth. Cloth of this kind wears like leather, and. is cheaper than the cheap-. Copyright, 1914.) est cloth. The value of the material thus spun is That it dyes extremely well, the colors, coming up admirably, and it is, as a matter of fact, a good imitation of silk. Some of- the cloth has been shown to-spinners, who would scarcely believe that it had been pro duced from wood pulp. The people of Tibet have for a long time now worn clothes constructed of Wood. In Ecuador the bark of a tree which grows on the slopes of the Andes is utilized for making blankets. Usually the blanket Is six feet long and five feet wide, and is as soft and pliable as though it were made from flannel. It is about the thickness of a good flannel blanket, and- can be rolled up and put in a strap without hurting or injuring It. This tree or bark blanket is merely a strip of bark cut from a section of the trunk of the demajagua tree. The Indians - make a cutting around the trunk to get it and they prepare it by soaking it in water un til it is soft. It is then pounded so that the rough outside can be stripped off and the 'inside alone left. The in side is of fine fibers so Joined togeth er by Nature that it makes a beautiful blanket, warm enough to be used as a cover, and soft enough for a mattress. Nature Has Given Eskimo Extra Ribs IT IS no compliment to tell an Eskimo that he has a lot of backbone, be cause be has. literally. The Eskimo also has more ribs than the ordinary human being, a physical equipment that came In good stead when these people of the Far North dared heavy seas in frail craft to get seal and flsh. In balancing the canoe or "kyak" the Eskimo of an earlier time used his waist, the sinews and muscles of which were developed to an unusual degree. Charles Dawson, the English sci entist, who discovered the famous Plitdown jaw, has shown some inter esting and hitherto not generally known facts about the bone formations of the Eskimo. The normal human skeleton has seven cervical or neck joints, otherwise known as vertebrae, 12 dorsal or rib bearing joints, five lumbar, or joints of the waist; five sacral, or cemented vertebrae, forming part of the hip re gion, and three or four caudal or tall vertebrae. There occurs, Mr. Dawson points out, among other abnormalities of the hu man frame, a rare additional joint of the back, one which sometimes makes its appearance between the ordinary lowest rib-bearing joint and the top most of the Joints of the waist. In its intermediate' position, this additional joint sometimes partakes more of the shape or characters of the series' of joints beneath it, and in other cases it more clearly resembles those above it. In the latter case, this joint sometimes tbears a pair of small rudimentary or "floating ribs." The explanation of this extra Joint of the waist is usually ascribed to the fact that the movable series of joints of the vertebral column above the hips have borrowed one joint or sec tion from the fixed series properly be longing to the hip region. The latter, in turn, borrows one joint from the tall, or caudal, series, which is conse quently shorn of one segment. Some times this order of annexation is re versed, and 'the hip region or the tail is longer at the expense of the joints of the waist. The hip region is, there fore, sometimes described as traveling backwards or forwards. Now, although these conditions oc cur as rare abnormalities, human be ings possessing them have been known to exist in various races throughout the world and in all ages from pre historic times to the present. Mr. Daw son says he has lately seen a recently Imported skeleton, one of a man who flourished some 6000 years ago in an cient' Egypt, which possessed the pe culiarity of a 13th dorsal vertebra. All these, however, are but isolated exam ples. 1 But lately during an examina tion of various Eskimo remains, which from time to time have been brought from the Arctic regions, Mr. Dawson noticed that representatives (male and female) chosen haphazard from a cer tain tribe of Eskimos living along the northern shore of North America pos sessed the distinction of 13 dorsal ver tebra, with the pair of additional ribs. We" have thus. In this instance, what appears to be a racial characteristic. A naturalist, therefore, looks for some cause which has operated in convert- Life Saving Device Can Be Steered LIF E SAVING device which permits J the comforts of a steam-heated flat while being tossed about on. the ocean wave has been introduced by Herr Heinrlch a German engineer. Arrangement is also made by which the occupant of the buoy can steer his craft and thus be able to make some headway if cast off near land, j The apparatus is shaped like skitr Hands Misplaced in Ancient WmMi!l AN examination of ancient Egyp tian art reveals a strange mis placing of right and left hands. Although the painter and sculptor of that epoch were at times almost pain fully definite in expressing an idea, they were strangely unable to accu rately depict arms. and hands. A carving showing Rameses I making an offering to the god Osiris, gives tho ruler two right hands instead of a nor mal right and left hand. The god's tng what is occasionally a rare varia tion into a fixed and permanent char acter. The probable reason is not far to seek, for anyone who has learned the art of canoeing knows that the neces sary equilibrium is chiefly maintained by exerclso of the muscles of the waist. But the balancing of the pleasure canoes 1s child's play when contrasted with that of the canoe, or "kyak" of the Eskimo. This wonderful little craft, laboriously constructed of drift wood spliced and overspread with dried sinews and skins, is only Ave or six inches deep, without keel or bal last, and would immediately "turn tur tle" with its occupant if it were notfor the wonderful skill with which " he maintains his balance. And yet, in spite of this, the male Eskimo and his family, especially In their former "un regenerate" days, depended almost en tirely upon his skill in the chase con ducted from these little "kyaks." The little mosquito hunting fleet would start for the far-off fishing or sealing ground and often have to re turn swiftly through boisterous seas harpooning, perhaps, by the way any of the larger prey which they might meet, and subsequently towing their prizes homeward. Sometimes. Indeed, the death strug gles of some wounded prey or a rude wave might completely capsize the frail craft, with its owner tied firmly to his seat. It is then that the power and suppleness of the Eskimo waist come into play, for certain death fol lows swiftly to the hunter who cannot Immediately, by a wonderful twist of his body and stroke of his paddle, re store himself and his craft to an up right position. So able, indeed, are many of these Eskimo hunters that they will, for sport or exercise of their skill, purposely overturn their "kyaks" in the water and perform a series of slde somersaults before recovering their nor mal upright position. Nevertheless, Jn spite of all this skill, the danger of capsizing is a very real one. Dr. F. Nansen. in his fine descrip tion of "Eskimo Life," tells both sides of the story and points out the awful realities of the dangers of the Eskimo in his struggle for existence. Quot ing the vital statistics of one Eskimo district, he showed that one-fourth of the total mortality there was alone due to accidents arising in the management of kyaks. It may be well conceived that under these conditions an additional Joint -at the top of the waist (or lumbar series) bringing with it an increase of flexi bility and strength of back and waist, may have been of vital Importance to a race living under such highly spe cialized conditions. It is clear, there fore, that any advantage so gained in kyak hunting would lessen the chance or risk by death in such accidents, and serve to perpetuate In the race a great er number of individuals possessing this advantage by reason of survival of the fittest, and a consequent pre ponderance of Inheritance from such survivors. tie. Canvas constitutes the central part of two sleeves, into which the castaway may slip his arms and thus use them ks oars. The lower part is a bucket which fills with water and keeps the ap paratus in a vertical position, while the top has a sliding glass door. In side the bag may be equipped with food tablets and watej; bottles, lid hands, says James Arthur In the 8rl entific American, are oorrect. Hot! I. In another . piece of sculpture Is hotdlns up his elaborate offering to the god dess Isis with two left hands. TITo goddess has not her hands on straight. With her Tight hand she holds the "Key of Life" at her left side. How these mistakes went on for years and years without correction Is amazing. It Is impossible to believe that the artists did not know what Hair May Be Sewn Into Bald Heads HAIR may be lOown Into the scalps of the bald as a result of a pro cess Invented by Dr. Sxekrly, a hos. pltal assistant of Budapest The pros pect of getting a new crop of hair by this method is rather terrifying-, as In the case of a perfectly bald man, 60.000 separate operations are required. With a skilled operator at work, BOO opera tions may be performed In an hour, so that In about 10 days the bald man will no longer be bald and all at a minimum of discomfort. In two weeks the for mer bald man has become accustomed to the luxury of hair and Is serene In the thought that It never will be neces sary to have the barber use shears on hla head. For, sewn-ln hair stays put and all that Is needed Is an oiling now and then to keep tho crop soft and silky. Those who have undergone hair Im planting operations have been advised to think long and carefully before they agreed to submit A wig can be re moved but when hair is sewn In It Is there to stay. It being Inconceivable that anyone would ask to have 60.000 hairs pried out Dr. A. Havas, in writing of the Szekely ( method, says the operator makes a, tiny loop with a gold wire about l-SOOthn of an Inch In diameter: In this loop he Inserts a fine strand of hair taken from a woman's head. This hair is from eight to 12 Inches long. "Then." Dr. Havas continues, "the operator Introduces the other end of the wire into a PraVai needle one of the needles, hollow wlthln.that are used for hypodermic injection and draws out the end of the wire from the point of the needle until the loop has not quite emerged from the needle. Then he cuts off the wire about one-twelfth Inch from the loop and bends the end to make a tiny hook. 'This don, he introduces the needle, properly sterilized, into the skin of the head and then withdraws it aently. leaving beneath the skin the hook hold ing by the loop the hair, bent double. After the needle has been withdrawn there may be seen protruding from the skin two hairs, being the two halves of the hair , held at Its central point by the loop, and anchored, so to speak, under the skin by the hook. "The punctures are made at a dis tance of about l-25th of an inch apart cr 625 to the square Inch. Aa there are two hairs to each puncture, this makes 1250 to the square Inch. In three quarters of an hour It is possible to plant 400 to 600 hairs." Inflammation follows this hair plant ing, but it is of short duration. The puncture points soon heal and It Is said the new hair will deceive anyone un .less a close examination Is made. Such an examination would reveal that two hairs "grow" from one point in the skin. Wireless Imperils Oil Boats WARNING against a nw wireless peril Is made by a French writ er. He shows that vessel! which carry explosives are In danger from their own wireless plants. Wheth er this applies to warship, the writer is not prepared to say, although he Is inclined to bellevs that the metal walls of ammunition compartments arv aa an effective acreen against electrlo waves. The theory that a vessel or warship may be blown up by wireless electricity generated at a plant at a distance is held to be untenable. He says: "Many vessels in peril have sum moned aid by means of radlo-tel-graphlc signals. But car should be taken lest th transmission plants In stalled on board creat a new source of danger, in certain condition and for certain ships. On oil ships and others that carry Inflammable cargoes, spe cially when these are volatile, uch substances may take fire from sparks that pass, by Induction, In various part of the vessel, when the operator Is sending messages. The Bureau of Nav igation of the Department of Com merce of the United States has fore seen this danger and ha laaued th following Instructions to radio-inspectors: "'When Inspecting radio telegraphic plants on board tank ateamahips. oil boats, and all other vessels carrying substances that may giv rls to mix tures which can bs exploded or Ignited by electric sparks, you will pay special attention to the insulation of th an tenna, you will examine metallic con tacts, cables, electric material, and all pieces In which th hlgh-f requency cur rents of the radlo-tclegraphic plant ars likely to engender Induced currents. " 'If sparks pass, either between two wires or across joints and alr-tntervals in these pieces, the danger must b pointed out to the commanding officer, to the steamship company, and to th wireless telegraph company." "The production of sparks between metallic objects In the neighborhood of powerful wireless pots Is a well known fact that is always taken Into account in th installation of planta on land. On vessels, when, post Is EgyptianArt Jim. a rycm 4 .'A they were doing end, sur.'v. the pl--tureMoving people of old i:gypt must have noticed that the h.n1. In aM did not tally with the henda In real 11 tn. Photographs taken from sculpture In the sixth Egyptian room of th Met ropolitan Vuniim of Art. New York City, show that tun F.opllan artist was wrong In hla conception of hand, and arms more times than he was Tight working, the metal ple-a near the ( antenna ahaorb by induction a large part of the energy; the metal guy, more or leaa parallel to th antenna, are particularly the seal of high-frequency currents that are very cb-J.-ctlonahle from the standpoint of ef ficiency, elni-e the current Ir.dnred In them I in the contrary direction to t ie current that trarersea the antenna at the same moment, tending to annul its effect. To remedy thia condition, the stays are Insulated from t!i ahlr hull. "Other pieces slightly Inaulat.d from the hull by air spaces are a'.po first put Into a state of electric t.n.lon and finally discharge acroas the sir pc. thus It Is common to hear. In certain parta of the boat, the crackling of parks. At night, they may ren t aen. "In the French navy, alo. It taa been a.ked whether In explo.lvea In the magailnes may b considered a. removed from all danger of Ignition by the tranamltslon station on th hlp. This queatloa la now being atudled. It would appear that when th ploiva are shut up. ltbr In luiht metal caa or simply In metal ammunition bos, ther I nothing to fear, sine th met al walla form a screen that the elec trio wavea cannot penetrate "At great distance! from th mlaalon antennae of radlo-telegraplilc nations, the danger no longer alsta; In fa-t the power Induced at 0 to loo mile from a post la ao feehle that only de vlcea. of czquislt delicacy. Ilk th telephone, ,or perfected elect rometera or galvanometere. r ahl to detect H. To auppae that a ship loaded with In flammable aubstance. can be aet on fir In tli mldd! of th Atlantic rn bs' means of wavea from I he I.iffel Tower, cr even by the combined ef fect of two powerful Continental ra-dlo-telegraphlc stations, la simply an effort of the Imsrlnatlon." Parrot Speaks 200 Words AMONG th feathered trlb th bowrblrd of Australia easily take th record for versatility, being at one gardener, architect and artist For It not only construct a neat tunnel-Ilk bowr framed Ilk a Gothic arch, but can lay out a garden, discriminated picking the orchid blos som and arranging them Into pretty patterns with Impeccable taste. For gay coloring th pitta donclnna of Borneo and Sumatra takes In lead, its feathers being every color of ths rainbow. Th bird of pared! run II close, and 1 In addition a dainty canc er. One specie of this dig a hoi a foot In diameter. ovr which It plara croased sticks (as for a Scottish sword dance), and strews leaves and rubbish over them, thus forming a floor on which It dancea a pee aeul. But 1h Jacana and ypecaha. both sperls of th rail, can go on better; for beside be ing splendid llttl dancera. thjr pro. vide their own music th wsil. Th world record parrot la wnl by Baron Alfred d RolhachlM. and b paid for It record sum l"h amis with ffct oult a number of on In a voice Ilk a banjos twang; spcaka 500 word of ;ermn, ran n awer reaaonabl queries, smartly re buke those who ak sll'y ones, nd I careful to remind br Interiuoutora that her full title Is 'Laura from Af rica, pie" Th lato Trine Whan of Korea 1 way carried with him on hla ttavel an enormoii wMte parrot with r colored lining on Ita wlnga. tid with prlcele. sapphires set on each aid of lta perforated beak. A bird which takea a lot nf beating, however Is th falcon, which took message f r m Tenarlff to Andaluala. 7h0 mliee. In 1 hours Sun Warps Skyscrapers Tlin ray of th un ar strong enough to move Ihe Immense dome of the Capitol at Washing ton six tnrhea every dy. Alt tall building are sffected In s similar man ner by th sun. bkyscrsprr r ! moved by th wind, th lop of lofty tower waylrg aeveral Inches undr strong gale. Th movement caused ry li 'in has been proved by experiment undr th Capitol dome. A SS-pound lad plumb wa suspended from th top tf th dome, a lead pencil attached to It on a sheet of rP'r At r1 nf xhm day th pencil had traced an llpa Inches long. Th un cause on lde cf a build ing to xpnd. As It move across th horizon It acts on othr side, causing expansion. Late In th afternoon th cooling building contracts, thua saving performed a complete ellps during th day. Another movement of building even less perceptible I their setti ng In'o the ground. I'nlesa erected on bedrock, buildings settle gradually through th yars. In Chicago eom of th sky scrapers of derad sgo hav settled flv Inche. Thia settling procs mv extend to one siie or coruer on'y This throws th struclur nut of pl'in h. Un building only a doseo years old was found to ! SO inches out of plumb at th top and had to b bolstered p by bug Jckcrwa, i ttrltetrit