Mr. Nipher stated that those who have examined the subject, 

 claim that the arrangement of the muscles which move the eye, 

 the anatomical and mechanical arrangement of the arm, the ver- 

 tic^l position of the human body and of tree trunks, with many 

 similar things, have great influence in determining the form of 

 decoration, predisposing all human beings to draw certain lines. 



Mr. Crosswell's jDapers were referred to the Pub. Committee. 



Mr. Geo. C. Pratt read a communication on the stage of the 

 Missouri River during the years 1853-55 : 



Having read with mucii interest Dr. Engelmann's notes on the different 

 stages of water in the Mississippi River at St. Louis, recorded in vol. ii. of 

 the Transactions of this Society, I have thought it not improper to submit 

 the results of some observations of certain stages of the Missouri River at 

 the City of Jefferson. These observations were made by myself while in 

 charge of the construction of a part of the Missouri Pacific Railroad ; they 

 cover a period of two years, extending from July, 1853, to July, 1855, and 

 were made with reference to a comparison with the high water of 1844. 

 This last point was ascertained approximately by the remembered nearness 

 of its approach to the top of the pavement in front of the old hotel at the 

 steamboat landing of that day, and accurately by a mark made at the time 

 of the high water with black paint on the perpendicular face of the rock 

 bluff between the capital building and the river by a gentleman who went 

 out in a boat with a brush and paint-pot for that purpose. This mark was 

 seen by me in 1853, and its elevation taken with reference to a permanent 

 point adopted as the base from which all the observations were made, and 

 was about one foot below the present grade of the railroad at that point. 

 The lowest stage of water found during the two -years occurred Feb. ist, 

 1855, which stage was regarded bj observers of the river as exceedingly 

 low, and is taken as the base of the following table showing the relative 

 height of water at the dates given, viz. : 



July (flood of), 1844 30' 



18 



5 



4 



Oct. 

 Nov. 

 Jan. 

 Mar. 



Apr. 



1853- 

 1854- 



May 



June 



Julj 



Sept. I, 



Oct. I, 



Nov. I, 



Dec. I, 



15, 



Jan. 



[854 



1855 



Feb. 

 Mar. 



Apr. 



May 

 June 



July 



