182 Proceeding i>. 



A.D. Meeds then read a paper describing "a deep well at Still- 

 water, Minnesota." A series of borings from this well was pre- 

 sented to the Academy by Mr. Meeds. (See paper EE.) 



May 7, 1889. 



Twelve persons present. 



Mr. 0. W. Oestlund read a paper on '^Insect wings; their 

 origin, structure and venation." 



A review df "A comparative study of the venation of Insect wings," 

 by Josef Redtenbacher: Annalen des K. K. naturhistorischen Hofmuseuras, 

 Wien, Vol i, No, 8. 



Profesor L. W. Chaney described from notes •' the histology 



of the Earthworm." 



June 4, I889. 



Seven persons present. 



Mr. M. A. Morey gave an informal talk on ''the geological 

 formations lying north of the Yellowstone National Park." 



The speaker had been engasjed in exploratory work in this region dur- 

 ing the past year. He regarded the rocks among which his work had been 

 carried on as of Cretaceous age, basing his opinion on the fossils which 

 were abundant in certain strata; but quite profound local changes were de- 

 scribed, brought about, in the speaker's opinion, by the influence of the 

 enormous outflows of volcanic rocks. Attention was called to several phases 

 of the problems of metamorphism and mineralization to which his investi- 

 gations had led him, and for which he had thus far reached no method of 

 solution. A series of specimens from the district was exhibited. 



Secretary Hall read a paper by Warren Upliam on "the lim- 

 its of species of plants in the Red River valley. 



Mr. Upham's paper is withheld at this time to be incorporated as a 

 part of a series of papers in Bulletin 3. 



In the discussion of this paper which followed the reading, 

 N. H. Winchell remarked: 



That he was glad to observe from Mr. UjDham's paper, some change in 

 Mr. Upham's views as to the cause of the prairies since he was associated 

 with the Minnesota survey. He formerly attributed the prairies to climatic 

 causes, chiefly the lack of that precipitation which prevails further east. 

 This difference of opinion between Mr. Upham and himself had induced 

 him to make careful and quite extended observations at numerous places in 

 Minnesota over that belt which covers the outrunning of the timber and the 

 oncoming of the prairie, with the view to ascertain if possible what features 

 of surface or soil accompany the change. These observations will be pub- 

 lished in another volume of the final report of the geological and natural 

 history survey of Minnesota, in a discussion of the origin of the prairies. 



