xliii 



over 80° ; bvit the weather was uniformlj mild, and thus a high mean was 

 attained — another of the numerous instances which show that mean tem- 

 peratures alone by no means allow a fair estimate of a climate. 



Of the eleven jears mentioned above as having unusually warm Octo- 

 bers, four were followed bj a winter below the average temperature of 

 33°. 4, and one of them, 1871-2, was one of the coldest. Three winters 

 after, an unusually warm October had nearly an average temperature, 

 and four were warmer than usual, that of 1877-8 being an unusually mild 

 one. It is therefore evident, that conclusions on the temperature of the 

 following winter cannot be drawn from the temperature of the month of 

 October. 



November 3, 1879. 



Dr. Engelmann in the chair. Eleven members present. 



Dr. Eng^ehnann made a few remarks on the meteorology of the 

 past month. 



Mr. Nipher made a short communication on the contamination 

 of brass by steel tools. 



JVovember 17, 1879 



Charles Speck in the chair. Seven members present. 



The Corresponding Secretary read a paper from Dr. G. Seyf- 

 farth, of New York, on " Planetary Configurations on Cyprian 

 Antiquities," vv^hich was referred to the Publication Committee. 



December i, 1879. 



Dr. Engelmann in the chair. Nine members present. 



Dr. Engelmann made a few remarks on the unusual turbidity 

 of the river water. He stated that the amount of suspended mat- 

 ter was unusually large for this season of the year, that it depos- 

 ited very slowly, and that its color was much darker than the 

 usual sediment of the IMissouri. The color was only slightly 

 changed at a red heat.* 



Dr. Engelmann also made the following communication on 



* Prof. Potter subsequently suggested that this sediment must have come from north- 

 western Missouri and eastern Kansas, and it was shown by the reports of the Missouri 

 Weather Service, that rains in this region had been of an unusually heavy and washing- 

 character, I hree inches having fallen in one day over this region just prior to the rise. 



F. H. N. 



