the surface. This "horse," which weighs two tons, and is guided by a
driver mounted upon it through the front wheel, proceeds on the towing
path like a traction engine; and the boats are connected with it by a
rope, with automatic disengaging gear, in case the force of the stream
or a gust of wind should drive a boat backward. Speeds of from 1,990
to 4,240 meters (mean 3,319 yards) were obtained with the electric
horse, towing from three to four boats, so that it is more suitable
than the electric propeller for towage in rivers or very long reaches;
but it requires a driver, while the propeller, with which speeds of
from 2,150 to 4,240 meters (mean 3,406 yards) per hour were obtained,
is worked by the bargee on board his boat. The towing path is not
worn, and there is no occasion for a tow rope, which always causes
difficulty when two boats cross one another. M. Maillet and M.
Dufourny, Belgian Ingénieurs des Ponts et Chaussées, who watched the
trials, conclude that a practical solution of the question depends
upon the cost of producing the motive power; but they also consider
that horse haulage on canals will soon be superseded by mechanical
traction, based on the use of an automotive tricycle, working with
petroleum or some other hydrocarbon, and capable of running on the tow
path without requiring any fixed plant.

IT HAS long been known that feathers and hair are electrical bodies,
but until recently we have had little information about their
electrical properties or the conditions in which these properties are
manifested. Most of these phenomena were first observed by Exner, and
in the work of Dr. Schwarze are found collected a mass of facts that
cannot fail to interest the physician and the biologist; besides, we
find there a description of Exner's apparatus which was used by
Schwarze in most of his experiments on electrical phenomena of this
kind. By the side of gold leaf electroscopes we see a feather