cxliv 



He then referred in terms of praise to the late Report of the Signal 

 Service Bureau, and gave the following interesting facts which he had 

 condensed from it. Regarding the rise in our rivers, he stated that dur- 

 ing the two years of observation the Mississippi and Missouri showed the 

 smallest amount of variance in volume, and were the most regular in their 

 variations of all our western rivers. The high periods of the Mississippi 

 were from March to July, and the highest point reached as a general thing 

 was is feet above low water. It rose higher at St. Louis than farther 

 north, reaching 28 feet above low water. From February to May the 

 Ohio rose 40 feet. The high season in the Cumberland was in February, 

 in the Red River in June. The Lower Mississippi was highest the end of 

 May. The rise between the mouth of the Missouri and the mouth of the 

 Ohio was not so great as it was below the mouth of the Ohio. 



It was also interesting to note the difference in climate in different parts 

 of Missouri. The observations of the signal stations at Leavenworth, Keo- 

 kuk, Cairo, and St. Louis, represent nearly every quarter of the State. 

 The summer temperature in all four was identical last year. The winter 

 temperature differs considerably. In the winter of 1S72-73 it was eleven 

 degrees warmer at Cairo than at Keokuk, and five degrees warmer at St. 

 Louis than at Leavenworth, although the latter two have the same lati- 

 tude. This difference in temperature may possibly be accounted for by the 

 fact that the St. Louis observations were slightly influenced by the prox- 

 imity of buildings, but this would not make a difference of five degrees. 

 Keokuk is three degrees of latitude north of Cairo and Leavenworth is four 

 degrees of longitude west of St. Louis. As we go west on the great plains, 

 the extremes are more severe until a point midway between St. Louis 

 and the Rocky Mountains is reached, where the rule changes. At the 

 mountains the variations are not nearly so wide, and at San Francisco 

 the difference between the temperature of summer and winter is only a 

 few degrees. 



Dr. Briggs presented a collection of fresh- water shells, which 

 he had obtained at a point where a small adjoining lake empties 

 into Lake Monona, Wise. 



Mr. Riley presented a copy of his Sixth Annual Report on the 

 Insects of Missouri, for which a vote of thanks was tendered on 

 motion of Judge Holmes, who spoke in praise of the Report. 



Dr. Engelmann stated that he had prepared two papers to he 

 read before the Society. One was on 



••The Cedars of America," or, rather, what we choose to call Cedars, they 

 being really Junipers. The species of this class of trees are so numerous, 

 and authorities have so poorly distinguished them, that he had, by close 

 microscopical study, and an extensive knowledge of the trees, tried to give 

 the geographical limits and the distinctive features of each kind. 



