Proceedings, J 75 



Professor H. F. Nachtrieb read a paper prepared for the 

 Academy by F. L. Washburn "on the structure of the hen's egg 

 and the development of the embryo chick." 



Mr. Benner presented a series of "notes on the arrival and 

 nesting of some species of birds in this viciiiity for the spring of 

 1887." (See paper X.) 



Professor L. W. Chaney by means of blackboard drawings and 

 glass models illustrated an interesting talk on "the Embryology 

 of the Sea Urchin and Starfish." 



June II, 1888. 



Jacob Sitze, Bruno Bierbauer and Will. D. Willard were 

 elected members. 



Uly. S. Grant read a paper prepared for the Academy by W. 

 J. McGee, U. S. Geologist, entitled: "The Field of Geology and 

 its Promise for the future." (See paper Y.) 



A paper by C. W. Hall then presented "a review of the the- 

 ories of the origin of the granitic rocks and the crystalline schists." 



The paper was the introduction to an investigation by the author into 

 the rise and development of this, one of the earliest problems with which 

 geologists have had to deal. Nothing which could be called a theory, that 

 is, nothing beyond a vague guess or bold assumption had existed before 

 some conception had been reached of the relations of the great crystalline 

 formations to the fossiliferous and other stratified beds. Of these relations 

 Hutton had observed something; but it was Smith who in 1815 in his table 

 of British formations placed the granite, syenite and gneiss as the 34th and 

 lowest in his series of rocks below the London clay. The theories of sev- 

 eral geologists following Smith were outlined, and the growth of the lead- 

 ing views of the present day was rapidly traced. 



October 2, 1888. 



Seven persons present. 



Bruno Bierbauer presented a paper which was " a check-list of 

 Paleozoic fossils for the Northwestern states, comprising Wiscon- 

 sin, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska and Dakota. (See paper Z.) 



C. W. Hall then gave an account of " the Minneopa well," 

 sunk during the present season by parties in search of gas. (See 

 paper AA. ) 



Dr. A. F. Elliot gave an account of a gas well he had recently 

 visited in the vicinity of Big Stone lake. 



The well had been flowing for months. For some time the flow was 

 an intermittent one, but now it was steady. The gas has a slight odor, and 

 is not inflammable. 



