Ixxiii 



The great monthly rainfall of the central and south-west portions of 

 Missouri during last month was due to the rains of the 19th and 20th, 

 which in the region west of St. Louis amounted to six inches. In the 

 northern part of the storm the rain froze upon the trees to the thickness 

 of from half an inch to an inch, so that the ice-covering on small limbs 

 would be two inches in diameter. This enormous loading of the trees re- 

 sulted in immense destruction of fruit and ornamental trees. Telegraphic 

 communication was absolutely cut off by the breaking of every wire in 

 almost every span, and by the breaking of many poles. 



In Johnson county the loss in trees is placed at half a million dollars. 

 At Pleasannt Hill the weighing of ice-covered branches led to the result 

 that a cedar tree, ten feet high and with branches spreading ten feet at the 

 base, had received over four hundred pounds of ice. At Miami, Saline 

 county, the loss in forest trees is placed at two per cent, of the cash value. 

 Oak trees, eight to twelve inches in diameter and fifty to seventy feet high, 

 were bent over so that the tops trailed upon the ground. Thousands of 

 fruit and shade trees have not a single branch left. The same reports 

 come from Clinton, Harrisonville, Glasgow, Macon, Mexico, Shelbina. 

 This damage occurred over an area of about 5,000 square miles. In many 

 cases the damage was increased by high winds which occurred during the 

 four or five days that the ice remained upon the trees. 



Mr. Holmes made a few remarks on the subject of potential. 



March 20, 1882. 



Dr. Engelmann in the chair. Ten members present. 



A letter was read from Mr. Geo, C. Stone, with acknowledg- 

 ments for his election to corresponding membership. 



Mr. Pritchett gave an account of the railroad time service, in 

 which time is daily distributed over ten thousand miles of rail- 

 road wire. 



Dr. Todd exhibited an anatomical preparation of the human 

 hand, showing the tendon of the ring-finger which prevented 

 free movement in piano-playing. A similar preparation of the 

 hand of a monkey was shown, and the similar tendons were shown 

 to be much more fully developed in the monkey than in the hu- 

 man hand. 



Dr. Engelmann exhibited a diagram showing the normal tem- 

 perature for London for each day in the year. 



