xlv 



much more numerous than its congener, Limenitis zersu/a, the 

 only other species of the genus in the Mississippi Valley. He 

 ventured to account for this imitation on the theory of Natural 

 Selection, as expounded by Darwin. 



Mr. C. C. VVhittelsey believed the only way to account for such 

 phenomena was to attribute them to design. There was but 

 one force in the universe, and that is will — human will and de- 

 sign, or Divine will and design. 



April 17, 1871. 



The President in the chair. 



Twenty members present. 



A note was received from the Corresponding Secretary, saying 

 he was too ill to attend the meeting, and had deposited the pub- 

 lications received in the Library. 



Mr. C. V. Riley, State Entomologist, presented a copy of his 

 " Third Annual Report on the Noxious, Beneficial and other 

 Insects of the State of Missouri " 



Dr. W. M. McPheeters mentioned a singular freak of elec- 

 tricity, by which a tree was shattered from below, and lifted out 

 of the ground, leaving a large hole. It seemed to show that 

 electricity rushed from below upward as well as from above 

 downward. 



It was observed by Drs. Engelmann and Wislizenus that the 

 case could be thus accounted for, and that, though exceptional, 

 there were other authenticated instances of the kind on record. 



Mr. Richard Hayes believed that upward electricity was more 

 common than was generally supposed. He had himself seen 

 lightning going up from a pine tree. 



Dr. Engelmann remarked that some trees attract lightning 

 more than others, and among them was the oak. 



Mr. Edwin Harrison mentioned a curious case where the 

 lightning struck a rick, wet at top, and, making a hole through it 

 as large as a man's fist, continued its course for some distance 

 under ground. 



Dr. Wislizenus cited a case where a house was enveloped for a 

 moment in flames, both inside and outside. The inmates thought 

 it came from below, but it was afterward traced from above. 



