582 TRANS. OP THE ACAD. OP SCIENCE. 



the last epidemic have convinced me on the contrary that 

 neither electricity nor any other meteorological phenomenon 

 has any direct connection with the epidemic of cholera, and 

 that we have to search in qnite a different direction for its 

 origin. The doctrine of local causes, and of its propagation 

 by some organic seed or ferment, takes justly now the place 

 of former speculations in meteorology. 



Electricity is considered also an effect and produce of vege- 

 table life. In germinating seeds under glass cover, traces of 

 electricity will be therein developed, where none was before. 

 But as every chemical process (and growing is a continuation 

 of chemical actions) develops some electricity, it is to be con- 

 sidered more an effect of chemical action than of vegetable 

 life proper. 



Electricity is regarded, too, as a stimulant for vegetable 

 life, and it may be worth while to try by experiment to what 

 degree electricity can promote and accelerate vegetable 

 growth. In any hot-house or propagating house such expe- 

 riments could be tried very conveniently in the following 

 manner: Take two wooden boxes with seeds or buds in 

 them of the same kind, treat them both in precisely the same 

 w r ay in regard to soil, moisture, heat, and light, but insert in 

 the inside of one box, on two opposite ends, a copper-tin 

 plate, connecting them with metallic wires, and observe now 

 if any difference will appear in the development and growth 

 of vegetable life in the two boxes. Such experiments, care- 

 fully made and often repeated, would soon settle the point to 

 what extent electricity may be considered a stimulant; and 

 be made useful to the promotion of vegetable life. 



On the Character of the persistent Snow- Accumulations 

 in the Rocky Mountains, Lat. 40°-41 Q North, and cer- 

 tain features pertaining to the Alpine Flora. 



By Dr. C. C. Parry. 



[Read, Oct. 15, 1866.] 



A long-felt desire to become personally acquainted with 

 the various forms, and characteristic features, of our Rocky 

 Mountain Flora, having resulted in three different expedi- 

 tions to that region, there has thus accumulated on my hands, 

 as an incidental fruit of my observations, some general facts 

 in reference to the natural aspects of that region, involving 

 certain scientific conclusions, apparently worthy of record. 



Nearly all my previous information in reference to per- 

 sistent snow accumulations in high mountain ranges having 

 been derived from works descriptive of the European moon- 



