lxxix 



Afril i, 1872. 



Albert Todd, Esq., Vice-President, in the chair. 



Thirteen members present 



Exchanges received were laid upon the table. 



Mr. A. D. Hager, State Geologist of Missouri, read a paper 

 on " Fish Culture ; its History ; Peculiarities of the Salmon and 

 Trout, and Artificial Propagation." Referred to the Committee 

 on Publication. 



Mr. C. V. Riley inquired of Mr. Hager if he knew anything 

 of the little web-worm which made what is known as the death- 

 web of young trout, and which was supposed by Mr. Seth Green, 

 of Mumford, to be one of the worst obstacles to trout-breeding. 

 The worm is the larva of a species of Buffalo gnat (Simulium), 

 and he had named it Sitnulium fiiscicidum. Mr. Riley gave 

 an account of its singular transformations, and showed how it 

 spun its web. The young trout were said to get entangled by 

 thousands in this web, and thus die ; but there was difference of 

 opinion as to wdiether the worm really had anything to do with 

 the death of the young fish. Prof. Hager answered that he had 

 never been troubled with anything of the kind. 



Mr. Richard Hayes made a statement with regard to the recent 

 hurricane at St. Louis., as follows : 



In regard to the tornado which occurred on the night of March 30th, 

 last, he stated, that on the next day he commenced at Seventh street to 

 trace it towards the west, by keeping as near as he could on the southern 

 edge of its path, and following it as far to the westward as any trace of its 

 violence could be seen ; and on returning, he traced the northern edge as 

 far as possible to the eastward, so that by means of field notes taken at the 

 various points, he was enabled to describe its exact limits, and the various 

 phenomena within them. Beginning the description on Grand avenue, 

 at the head of Lafayette avenue, where the force of the wind was only 

 strong enough to break down the weakest fences and a few decayed trees, 

 not much violence was indicated until, in its course, it reached as far to 

 the east as Toney street. Here it crossed Park avenue, and became more 

 violent. On the south side of Park avenue, the west chimney of a house 

 was blown off in such a manner as to fall northwardly, notwithstanding 

 its largest dimension was from north to south, thus indicating the whirl- 

 ing motion of the wind. On the north side of the avenue were several 

 houses whose chimneys and walls had been injured. Further eastward on 

 Carolina street, the houses suffered more or less, and on reaching Missouri 

 avenue, he found three houses with their eastern gable walls blown east- 

 ward, and two of them had their west walls blown westward. There were 



