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A very interesting discovery has been made in the Etruscan necropolis of Tarquinia. It consists of a coronet of modern shape, three thousand years old. Two hundred tombs containing helmets, a breastplate of gold, amulets, vases, etc., have been opened, showing that Etruscan civilization was far superior to that of the Romans. The collection will be offered for sale after the Italian government has appropriated one-fourth of it under the law. In No. 7 of the Physikalische Zeitschrift (April 1, 1904) Prof. Wladimir de Nicolai ve arrives at the conclusion that electrostatics in its present form is a fiction. In order to agree with the experimental facts, this science should be transformed, and its formulae should be made to include the electric conductivity in addition to the permeability; the formulae of electrostatics, from which the forces acting on an iso-tropical dielectric substance are calculated, fail to be of any use when applied to some experiments described by the author. Sir Norman Lockyer, the British astronomer, has advanced a remarkable new theory concerning the utility of sun spots. Our knowledge of sun spots is distinctly limited, and Sir Norman Lockyer contends that the discovery and understanding of these phenomena will prove one of the most beneficial additions to the world in general. He advances the theory that such knowledge may enable astronomers to convert the sun into an agent to enable us to cope with droughts and famines, and that the spots on the sun may render it possible to predict with practical certainty the coming of famine and the exact part of the world where it will take place. A discovery of great archeological interest has been made at Cheddar, England. In the course of cutting a trench for drainage purpose through a bed of cave-earth, the skeleton of a man of great antiquity was excavated. Although the skull could only be removed in pieces, it was possible to determine that it was that of a man of a period intermediate between the paleolithic and neolithic ages. The bones of the leg exhibit the characteristic flattening peculiar to those of that period. The frontal bone of the skull is thicker than that of the present day, while over the eyes a decided boss of bone demonstrates that the brows were very prominent. Judging from the size of the skeleton, the height of the man was about 5 feet, 3 inches. In close proximity were found several flint flakes and knives. In a paper published in No. 8 of the Physikalische Zeitschrift (April 15, 1904) Prof. F. Himstedt arrives at the conclusion that radio-active bodies giving off a gaseous emanation are widely diffused throughout the earth. These emanations are absorbed by water or by petroleum; and after having been conveyed along with the latter to the surface of the earth, will diffuse into the air. Because of the many analogies noted between these emanations and radium emanations, the author thinks it possible that both are identical. In this case the ores of uranium from which radium emanations are derived would either be widely diffused, or else there would be some further matters possessing, though to a lesser degree, the property of giving off emanations. Considering that the absorption coefficient of water as well as of petroleum with respect to this emanation is found to decrease for increasing temperatures, while hot fountains on the other hand show an especially high activity, the hypothesis is suggested that the amount of radio-active material is increasing for augmenting depths, and, according to Curie's observation as to the continual heat evolution from radium, the radio-active components of the earth should possibly have to be allowed for in accounting for the temperature of the earth. Some interesting demonstrations have been carried out in London with a new photographic art material called "photolinol." This fabric is composed of linen, which is thoroughly permeated with the photograph, producing a high translucency. One very picturesque effect obtained by this means is that the picture, when colored and viewed with a reflected light, bears a very strong resemblance to an oil painting, the lines of the weaving of the linen appearing similar to the canvas in a painting. Photolinol is waterproof and indestructible, while the photograph does not fade in the sun, as it appears to be woven into the material. By its aid much greater enlargements than are now possible can be made with ease. The fabric can be made to any size, some of the enlargements shown being ten feet square. It is applicable to an extensive variety of purposes. As it is transparent, it can be adapted to lamp shades' and other ramifications of photographic art for which transparencies are now employed. Novel results can bg obtained with it, for the picture appears with equal distinctness on either side by either reflected or transmitted light. The process -is a secret one, but its commercial utility and value are already asserted, since it can be employed for curtains, screens, or theatrical scenery. For the latter is is peculiarly adapted, and is both cheaper and more durable than hand-painted scenery.
