been in bloom on the 4th, quinces on the 5th, oak and hickory on our hills 

 and the acacias, which were then more abundant in our streets than now, 

 in full leaf on the 6th. Dogwood was in its fullest glory on the 7th. The 

 first acacias bloomed on the nth and their general blooming occurred on 

 the 14th. On the 23d the garden roses began to flower, and our latest grape 

 species, the summer grape, was then in full bloom. The first strawber- 

 ries (wild ones) appeared in the market on the last day of the month- On 

 the 1st of May I noticed green peas in the market, but on the 4th we had 

 in open places out of town some white frost and thin ice, which, though it 

 did not injure the fruit hereabouts, did some damage to tender garden 

 vegetables, such as beans, cucumbers, and potatoes. The first ripe cher- 

 ries were seen in market on the 13th, and the early catalpa bloomed (again 

 in the bishop's garden) on the 14th. 



I find in my records a memorandum that on June nth snow and ice 

 were seen in many parts of New York and Pennsylvania. With us the 

 temperature of May was an average one, and that of June several degrees 

 below the mean. 



The succeeding year, 1843, was one of the eight coolest years I have 

 observed here, and though the winter tintil the end of January was by no 

 means very cold, and was even above the average, February and March 

 were so cold that spring did not open until about a month later than in 

 1842, the elm not blooming before the middle of April, peach trees before 

 the 25th, apple trees before the beginning of May, and acacias together 

 with the first roses not until May 22d — all about one month later than in 

 the preceding year. These, then, are about the limits of our earliest and 

 of our latest springs, and the others range between those limits. 



Dr. Engelmann also laid before the Academy a plate, showing 

 several species of tulips, mostly natives of Asia, vs^hich are being 

 introduced into English gardens. 



Ap-il 15, 1878. 



Dr. Engelmann, President, in the chair. Eleven members 

 present. 



Mr. Nipher referred to a simple method by which Prof. C. A. 

 Smith of Washington University had determined the velocity of 

 falling rain-drops. In the case examined, large drops were 

 falling vertically. Riding rapidly in a horse-car, the drops ap- 

 peared falling in inclined paths — the effect of aberration. It 

 was only necessary to measure, on the vertical and horizontal 



