Show SCIENTIFIC MISCELLANY The novel hydraulic microphone ot of Signor Italian physicist embraces a small glass tube through which flows a stream or of slightly acidulated acidulated water Near the tho top ot of the tube tubo Is a site aperture closed b by a sensitive tive lIvo diaphragm which is 18 joined b by a short rod to the tho diaphragm ot of a tele tela mouthpiece As the water emerges from the bottom ot of the thc tube tubo It passes between en two platinum electrodes completing the circuit be between between tween them Speaking Into the mouth mouthpiece mouthpiece piece sets the flowing water Into vi vibration 1 bration thus varying the tho resistance between the electrodes and transmit transmitting transmitting ting the sound vIbrations through the el electric circuit ThIs microphone has hal been used In wireless telephony over overa a of miles or moro more For thIs purpose it Is placed In the tho circuit or of a Poulsen generator consisting es essentially all of an electric arc alC In an atmosphere at atmosphere of hydrogen find and the tho electric waves from thus pass from the tho trans transmitting transmitting antenna to the all air are arc caught by the tho receiving antenna and then passed through a setting up a current that reproduces In n a telephone the sound or words transmitted When this microphone was tried on the tho tele telephone telephone phone line link between London amI Rome about 1200 miles conversation was plainly heard although tho a ordinary microphone does not work at that dis distance lance tance The Tho remarkable effects ot of deep deop breathing which seem to have havo been beon generally overlooked although well known to divers md and others are found b by Dr D F Comstock ot t be Marked increase t c In the tho time lime the system can do without mental stimulation a short increase In physical and a rise In Inthe inthe the pulse In his own n experience ene tour f minutes or enforced made o It possible t to hold the breath 32 3 minutes the limit without the preparation preparation tion being 66 56 seconds Another person succeeded In holding hili breath 1110 minutes after the tho preliminary breath breathIng breathing Ing The new German 10 id I 2 6 feet long lon has two 35 horsepower motors geared to the tho axles and weighs 19 Jh n tons Including an Edison battery batter of oC 59 tons With a car It ran mlles miles on a single charge The Burmese still without m matches In damp remote parts ot of the tho country have made the important practical p convey that heat Is generated by the sudden compression of all air or other gas An instrument described d by Prof O 0 P Monckton of Calcutta consists essen essentiallY of a 0 buffalos horn with a quarter quarter ter Inch hole bored ne nearly to the bottom and fitted with a tight piston In arc a re recess cess In the lower end or tho th e pili ton Is s placed a a piece or of dry y pith or other o her In flammable material The The piston pinto Is then Inserted jn in the horn cylinder driven en down by b a smart mart blow and Quickly withdrawn 1 rawn when blowing on the tho pith causes It to burst into same flame giving fire to the ingenious Burman It Is Inches u i Ion long and the tho piston Is driven to within a a quarter Inch of oC the bottom the tem tempel pel tun should he be raised from SO de degrees degrees grees F I to degrees F Heat Is given out durin during compression however hOever and the tho piston Is never neel perfectly airtight so o that In practise there lIS is a loss esti r mated at about 25 per pcr cent The exhaustion or of the tho worlds world fuel will undoubtedly be deferred b by the use ot of peat to supplement the product ot of the tho coal mines and this reserve Is known to be enormous while an theor theory suggests that It may be 00 made unlimited Ireland alone has acres of unused peat with a depth or of 16 10 to 30 feet It Is estimated that th the pent prat averages tons to the acre and on the tho assumption that the tho calorific value vahle is hr of that of coal this equal 1823 tons or of I coal or a total or of tons ol of I coal for Ireland At least IMst half hair ot of this I would be economIcally available for It Is not elY proven that the peat hogs can bo be but the claim Is made mada that thal In Romo rases ases the they five or 01 six Mix Inches a year the Ilie IOl th emending on I the character ot of the thc plant This sug gUsts guests that our fuel sull ly Iy after aCter all allmay mn may be 10 made permanent by conserving and cultivating the bogs a substitute for cotton a spinning company at Chem has obtained usable fiber from the seeds of the kapok or tree ot of the tho tropics The fiber It is naturally brittle but Prot Prof Goldberg has hlL so treat treated treated ed It that It Is spun Into a very soft silky and Inexpensive yarn rn the dura dum ot of which Is yet ct to ho bo tested The fiber Is already ld much used In padding furniture for pillows etc tc The novel French walking stick by which one may see Heo over a crowd or It a high fence Is a now new application or of a familiar optical device A hollow tube Is used for the cane Near the top and projecting at a right angle Is screwed n a tiny and ana near the lower lowel end Is made nn an As the stick k I uI held above the head the light lIht pass naIlS lag Ing through the lenses strikes s a prism which reflects it down th tube to another prism opposite the ec eye hole In this wa way the image or of U objects In the field ot of view ot of the tho lenses Is passed to the eye CC and be comes clearly visible |