cclix 



Afril 2, 1877. 



A. Todd in the chair. 

 Ten members present. 



W. B. Potter, chairman of the Archaeological Section, made a 

 monthly report, of which the following is an abstract: 



The total number of members is at present eighteen, of whom fourteen 

 are Associate and four Corresponding Members. 



A valuable collection of stone implements from the Arcadian 

 Valley, in Iron County, Mo., has been presented by Mr. Thomas 

 A. Robinson, of Arcadia. 



An expedition has been planned for a thorough exploration of 

 certain mounds of Southeastern Missouri during the present 

 spring, and it is to be desired that the Academy aid in the en- 

 terprise. 



The Academy voted the sum of one hundred dollars ($100) for 

 the use of the Section. 



Dr. G. Engelmann made the following report on 



THE METEOROLOGY OF MARCH, 1S77. 



After a very cold December, 10 degrees below the average of 42 years, 

 and a cold January, 2£ degrees below the average, we had a very mild 

 February, 4^ degrees above the average, and by the mildness of that month 

 the character of last winter was so much modified, that it was not one of 

 the coldest in that period ; still it fell nearly 3 degrees below the average, 

 and only six winters out of forty-two were colder, among them those of 

 two, four, and five years ago. 



February was so very constantly moderate, that the temperature in the 

 warmest part of the day always ranged above the freezing point. Animal as 

 well as vegetable life felt the genial influence of coming spring. Geese and 

 swans returned northward. Bluebirds appeared again, and on the 17th I 

 observed open blossoms on a number of soft maple trees (Acer dasycar- 

 J>um), while our elms a few days afterwards prepared to burst their buds. 

 But colder weather soon checked them, and March with 9 degrees on the 

 4th, 6 degrees on the 9th, and heavy snows on the 8th and especially on 

 the 24th, put us back seemingly into mid-winter. Thus these maples and 

 elms are not in bloom yet; the earlier were killed, and the later have not 

 yet recovered. 



The winter was an extremely dry one, especially in December, and also 

 in February; but March has given us (and the agriculturists are especiallv 

 thankful for it) plenty of rain and snow — nearly four inches — while the 

 three preceding months together had not more than half as much. 



