r the body, and is welded upon the
under side to the gold belt. Upon the back are tiny jewels set in gold
and fastened into the shell. The coloring of the shell is a brilliant
Nile green, edged with black. The movement of the bug gives flashes of
variegated colors. Upon the under side is fastened a delicate gold
chain which in turn is attached to a brooch. It is educated to eat
from the lips. It understands various whistles and calls, and appears
and disappears at the word of command.--_Globe_.

RUSTLESS IRON is being manufactured in New York by a new process
which, it is claimed, converts the surface of the metal into magnetic
oxide of iron. This is done by subjecting it successively to the
action of highly heated air and carbonic acid gas from coal fires. The
process can be applied with most satisfactory results to water-pipes
and architectural work.

WEIGHING THE EARTH.--Prof. Proctor proposes to repeat in Florida an
experiment to determine the weight of the earth, and mentions the
results of the methods heretofore tried. Newton first estimated the
weight of the earth to be between five and six times as great as that
of water. Such a weight it would have if it were one half iron and the
other half limestone, or half copper and half clay. Evidently the
metallic weight preponderates.

Weighing the earth is accomplished by comparing the effect of its
attraction with that of much smaller bodies. One method is to compare,
by balancing the weight of two balls, one above a globe of lead, as
large as practicable, and the other below it, so as to have the
attraction of the leaden globe pulling up and counteracting the
gravitation to the earth. The effect is very slight and requires
delicate apparatus.

By another, but more inaccurate method, the attraction of the earth
has been compared with that of a mountain--a very indefinite method
indeed. A better method was that of Astronomer Airy and Mr. Dunkin,
who went down into the Harton coal pit 1,260 feet to see how much
difference that depth would make in the movements of a pendulum. It
gained 2-1/4 seconds in 24 hours, and the weight of the earth was
inferred to be over 6-1/2 times as great as that of water; but it is
manifest that such a method could yield nothing much more accurate
than the mountain experiment which indicated a weight 4-3/4 times that
of water. The ball experiment, which is the most reliable, indicated
5-1/2 times the weight of water, thus coinciding