A communication was read from the Bureau of Education, at 

 Washington, asking for statistics for use at the Vienna Exposi- 

 tion, to which the Corresponding Secretary was directed to return 

 a suitable answer. 



On behalf of Mr. W.J. Lee of Iron Ridge, Mo., a collection of 

 iron ores from that locality was presented for the museum, for 

 which the thanks of the Academy were voted to Mr. Lee. 



Dr. Engelmann communicated the following observations on 



ONE OF THE TWO COLDEST WINTERS IN ST. LOUIS, IN THE LAST 40 YEARS. 



Two months ago I stated to you that, after passing through by far the 

 coldest December witnessed by me here, we would probably experience a 

 milder Januarv and Febuary, as such had been my experience in all the win- 

 ters the beginning of which had been unusually severe. Facts have proved 

 these expectations futile. We have passed through one of the severest win- 

 ters in my record which embraces just forty years. If I say we have passed 

 through it, I mean meteorologically; for meteorologically our winter is cal- 

 culated to last from December 15th to the last of February. Actually and 

 practically we are in winter yet. and it will be weeks probably before the 

 flower-buds of our Elms and soft Maples open, which in more favored sea- 

 sons gladden us before the end of February. 



The mean temperatures of our winters I find to be 33-6°, and the past 

 winter marks only 26. 3 , more than 7 less than the average. The only 

 winter which, in my experience, can be compared with it in severity is that 

 of 1855-6, which came up to 26. 4 , you may say about the same average 

 temperature as this winter. But, comparing the different months of both 

 winters, we find December, 1855, up to 32. 4 , only one degree below the 

 average, while January with 20.i°was nearly 12 below the mean, and 

 February with 26 6° nearly 9 below. January was by far the coldest month 

 of that winter, from 3 to 4 degrees colder than in this winter. 



In this winter, however, December and January were the cold months; 

 and February, though cold and raw enough, and about T,k degrees below 

 the average, was far less severe. 



The following little table will more distinctly exhibit these conditions: 



Winter of Winter of Average 



1855-6. 1872-3. of 40 years. 



December -•-• 32-4° 2 3-3° 33-4° 



January 20.1 23.7 32.0 



'February 266 31.9 35.3 



Whole Winter 26.4 26.3 33.6 



Last December was the coldest ever experienced by me here : January 

 was colder, as above stated, in 1856, and still colder in 1857 (i9°.3). 

 February was colder nine times within my experience than the one just 

 passed. 



