164 TRANS. OF THE ACAD. OP SCIENCE. 



energy of his character, and with but a single man as his escort, and no 

 other guide than his compass, he determined to continue on his course. 

 After a wearisome travel of many days, and having encountered many 

 privations and dangers, he and his companion, Cadotte, arrived safely, 

 but in almost a starving condition, at the Flathead Village, situate on 

 the western slope of the Rocky Mountains. In accomplishing this 

 part of his arduous task, Dr. Evans passed directly through the heart of 

 the Blackfeet country, and travelled a distance of more than two hundred 

 miles in the main chain of the Rocky Mountains before he succeeded in 

 finding a passage to the valley beyond. It is much to be regretted that 

 the credit of the discovery of this important pass, which unquestionably 

 belongs to the subject of the present sketch, has been unjustly transferred 

 to another. It should have been named in honor of Dr. Evans instead 

 of Cadotte, since it is well known that the latter person had no knowl- 

 edge of such a passage, and, in fact, had not even been in that region 

 before he went there under the guidance of Dr. Evans. After a few 

 days' rest at the Flathead Village our traveller resumed his journey, and 

 without encountering further difficulties, reached Oregon city with much 

 valuable information concerning the extensive district of country through 

 which he had passed. 



In the prosecution of the geological survey of Oregon and Washington, 

 Dr. Evans was actively engaged for nearly five years, during which 

 period his travels extended over a large portion of those Territories. 

 The results of his important labors, embracing a large amount of infor- 

 mation relating to the geology, topography, geography and natural his- 

 tory of that interesting poition of the American continent, are embodied 

 in his large report submitted to, and ordered to be printed by Congress 

 at its last session. It wa.< placed in the hands of the Public Printer only 

 a few days previous to the death of its lamented author, and it is a 

 matter of deep regret, that, owing to some informality, its publication 

 must be delayed to await the further action of Congress. It is earnestly 

 hoped that Congress will, at an early period, make the necessary pro- 

 vision for the printing of this important document, the preparation of which 

 has cost such a large expenditure of labor and money, and which prom- 

 ises to be of the highest value to science and the people for whose benefit 

 the survey was ordered. 



September 2, 1861. 

 The President, Dr. Engelmann, in the chair. 



Seven members present. 



The following donation to the library was received: Bull. 

 de la Soc. Imper. zool. d'Acclimatation, Paris, No. 7, Juillet, 

 1801, from the Society. 



Mr. Holmes presented from Dr. B. F. Shumard the follow- 

 ing skulls from Texas : Felis partialis, Linn. (Tiger-cat), 

 from Travis Co.; Felis onza, Linn. (Jaguar), from Hays Co., 

 and Dicotyles torquatus (Peccary), from Travis Co. 



Dr. Engelmann made some remarks on the temperature 

 and humidity of the past three summer months. June and 

 August were by more than two degrees warmer than the 

 averages for these months, while July was cooler. The quan- 

 tity of rain for each of these months was below the average 



