94 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



liofhtning' in the same sense as he is struck by apoplexy or paralysis. 

 The cause, in either case, may be more or less remote and far-reaching, 

 but the conditions and the action are local. 



The phenomena above described seemed to us to indicate, not a 

 progressive tearing force, not, indeed, merely an explosive, l)ut rather 

 a disintegratiny force. It seemed as if the matter had been endowed, 

 temporarily, with new properties, or pro])erties unknown to us, and 

 not manifested undei- other circumstances. Perhaps we may say, 

 that the arrested motion of which 1 have spoken, instead of being 

 converted into its equivalent of jjcat (which is but a mode of motion) 

 may have assumed the form of a ilifi'trctit "mode of motion," which 

 mode is the one we denominate ''electricity," and which is a more 

 intense action, more rapid. Iiencp more destructive tliaii heat. 



At a meeting of the Trustees, held September 29th, 1879, the action of the 

 Geological and Arciifpolog-ieal Section, in forming two separate sections, and 

 tlie By-Laws adopted l)v eacli, were ai)])roved. 



OcTOFiEH ;3]ST, 1S7!). RE(41LAK MeETINC^. 



The President, Mrs. Mary L. I). Putnam, in the chan-. Nineteen 

 persons present. 



Messrs. F. T. Schmidt, E. Geisler, H. ( armichael, and Mrs. E. M. 

 Pratt, were elected regular members. Mr. F. S. Pooler, Albany, 111.; 

 Mr. L. J. Longpre, Ontonagon, Mich.; Prof. .Josua Lindahl, Rock 

 Island, 111.; Dr. S. S. Rathvon, Lancaster, Pa.; Dr. J. N. De Hart, 

 Whippany, N. .1.; Mr. Henry C. Young, Glasgow, Scotland, and Mr. 

 Frank Cowan, Greensburg, Pa., were elected corresponding members. 



Mr. C. T. Lindley read an interesting popular paper on the boom- 

 erang. 



November 28th, 1879. — Regular Meeting. 



Mr. W. H. Pratt, Vice President, in the chair. Six members pres- 

 ent. 



Mr. Benjamin Randall, of this city, made some interesting remarks 

 on the Phenomena of Mirage, advancing some original ideas on the 

 subject. 



