Record. xlvii 



of an active student such as Riley was, devoting his entire time to such work 

 as is represented in the nine annual reports which he made to the State 

 Board of Agriculture. 



He enlisted everyone whose interest could be aroused. He made them 

 his correspondents and taught them to collect the information he sought. 

 He taught many a farmer's boy to appreciate the advantage of country sur- 

 roundings in the study of Nature. It was to many the discovery of a new 

 world. When we reflect that men who have been raised on farms have done 

 most of the great things that have been done in this country, the educational 

 value of Riley's work becomes apparent. 



The money value of the service he rendered during the great locust in- 

 vasion probably exceeded manyfold the entire cost of his service during 

 nine years. Many who were about to abandon their farms in despair were 

 by him encouraged to believe, what the subsequent results verified, that the 

 damage, although seemingly overwhelming, was in fact only temporary, that 

 late crops could be raised after the scourge had departed for the year, and 

 that the enormous multiplication of insect enemies would destroy the plague 

 in a few years. But there were many well-meaning men in political life at 

 that time, whose names I do not now remember, who were anxious to do 

 something effective, and who convinced themselves that such work was not 

 of sufficient value to justify the expense, and the work was stopped. 



Professor Riley was too serious in his address and manners to win many 

 warm and cordial friends. He could never forget his work. He talked with 

 men with a view of obtaining their co-operation and assistance in advanc- 

 ing the interests which were placed in his keeping. But we all learned to 

 admire and respect his personal worth and his great ability. For many 

 years the work of the Academy was largely the work of Riley and Engelmann. 

 It is very fitting, therefore, that we should thus record our high appreciation 

 of the service he has rendered to our Academy and to the State. 



Professor H. S. Pritchett presented a resume of certain 

 studies of the satellite system of Saturn, calling attention to 

 the remarkable similarity between this system and the solar 

 system, and mentioning the frequent eclipses to which the 

 satellites of Saturn are subjected. An interesting exposition 

 was given of the effect of the attraction of the large satellite 

 Titan upon the smaller one Hyperion, resulting in great eccen- 

 tricity of the orbit of the latter. Mention was also made of the 

 phenomenon of greater brightness of one side of the satellite 

 Iapetus, and of the coincidence of the revolution of this satel- 

 lite on its axis with its revolution around the planet. 



Professor Nipher presented a paper on the law of minimum 

 deviation of light by a prism. 



Mr. Carl Kinsley, of St. Louis, was elected an active member. 



Two persons were proposed for active membership. 



