100 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OP NATURAL SCIENCES. 



Pratt, The Elephant Pipe, Inscribed Rock at Sterling, 111., Explo- 

 ration of Mounds at i\lhany, 111. and on Allen Farm, and Lightning- 

 Phenomena at Blackhawk. 



Of investigations still* in progress I may mention that Dr. Parry 

 has been engaged most of the year in arranging his Mexican col- 

 lections made in 1878. This contains more than 1000 species of 

 plants, of which about 10 per cent, are undescribed. These have 

 been placed in the hands of eminent botanical specialists in Amer- 

 ica and Europe for study. Capt, W. P. Hall has increased his 

 collections of archaeological relics in the South — the past year in 

 Tennessee — thus laying a solid foundation for the study of the 

 archaeology of the Mississippi Valley. Messrs. Gass, Pratt, Far- 

 quharson and Lindley have continued the exploration and study of 

 mounds in this vicinity. Messrs. Barris and Pratt have made 

 large collections of fossils, among which are a number of new 

 species. Mr. J. D. Putnam has continued, as far as other duties 

 would permit, his studies of the Coccidae aud Solpngidae, includ- 

 ing a complete revision of his paper on the maple bark lice, the 

 printing of which is just completed. 



It would be a strong incentive to original investigations if the 

 Proceedings of the Academy could be issued more promptly than 

 has hitherto been done. It is by the amount and quality of its 

 original work that such a society as ours takes its rank as a perma- 

 nent benefactor to mankind, even though much of it seems a use- 

 less waste of energy to the ordinary man of the world. 



Under the second head, " the diffusion of a knowledge of the 

 natural sciences," thirteen general and five section meetings have 

 been held, before which the above mentioned papers have been 

 read, and numerous verbal remarks and reports made. Besides 

 the papers read at the meetings, lectures of a more popular nature 

 have been given under the auspices of the Academy, by W. M. D. 

 French, of Chicago, on the "Principles of Art;" by Dr. W. W. 

 Grant on the "■ Philosophy of Locke ;" by Mr. W. O. Gronen on 

 " Lilies and their Culture," and liy Mrs. E. H. Walworth on "Art 

 as a Fashion." A series of familiar Saturday afternoon talks have 

 been given by Mr. C. T. Lindley, on " Coi-als " and on " Sea Ur- 

 chins"; by W. H. Pratt, on "Mound Builders" and on "Teeth"; 

 by Dr. E. H. Hazen, on " Lenses," and by Dr. C. C. Parry, on 

 Mexican Botany. A class of practical botany, under the direction 

 of Dr. Parry, in the early part of the season, elicited considerable 



