1897.] SCIENTIFIC PROCEEDINGS. 255 



from June, 1895, to March, 1897. The Alert was on the Pacific sta- 

 tion, and the Commander related occurrences in many of the ports 

 entered in Peru, Ecuador, Columbia and the various states of Central 

 America, as well as some in Mexico and our own western coast. He 

 also described a trip to Sitka, and a stay of three months at Honolulu. 

 The value of the Navy to American interests abroad, and the salutary 

 infiuence of the occasional presence of a war vessel off the coast of 

 a revolutionary state were illustrated by numerous examples. 



A vote of thanks was tendered Commander Hanford for his inter- 

 esting" lecture. 



November 23, 1897. 



The meeting- was held at the Reynolds Library. President 

 Fairchild in the chair. Twenty-two persons present. 



The paper of the evening was by Dr. Charles T. Howard, 

 and was entitled : 



SILK AND SILK CULTURE. 



Dr. Howard first gave a historical sketch of the subject, follow- 

 ing with a minute description of the various stages of the silkworm, 

 from the egg to the moth. He then described the various varieties of 

 the silkworm and exhibited cocoons of many kinds. He stated that 

 the cocoons were all silk from surface to center, that they shrink 

 about one-half, and again fifteen to twenty per cent, in reeling. He 

 described, by diagrams, the method of reeling silk, and exhibited some 

 samples of silk which he had produced. 



The paper was discussed by the President, Mr. J. M. Davison, 

 and others. 



December 14, 1897. 



The meeting was held at the Reynolds Library. President 

 Fairchild in the chair. Thirty persons present. 



Mr. Ira S. Wile, Dr. Montgomery E. Leary and Mr. 

 George Hartnell were elected to active membership. 



Dr. Herbert L^. Williams, Professor of Pathology and Bac- 



