432 Historical Sketch of Minnesota Academy of Science 



Lake Mound," Brooklyn, Minn., and one "on the Anatomy, Physi- 

 ology and Habits of the Star Fish." Resolutions were also offered 

 by Dr. Johnson in October of this year (1874) in memory of the 

 death of Dr. A. E. Ames, who had himself offered similar resolutions 

 at the beginning of this year on the death of the distinguished honor- 

 ary member of the Academy, Professor Louis Agassiz. 



The meeting of the third year (1875) began with descriptions 

 by Professor Winchell of the order of the rocks which underlie the 

 surface in this vicinity and by Professor Peckham on the iron ore 

 from Duluth, which was similar to a Rhode Island ore containing a 

 large proportion of titanium. The only paper by Dr. Johnson this 

 year was one in March "On the Stoat, with Special Reference to Its 

 Change of Color." Rev. Mr. Mitchell read "An Essay on Hydropho- 

 bia, profusely elaborating the symptoms, real as well as imaginary." 

 R. J, Mendenhall had a paper on "Some Insects Injurious to Vegeta- 

 tion in this Climate," which was published in this year's bulletin 

 "with a view to its wide distribution in our state." The rest of this 

 bulletin for 1875 is occupied with supplementary list of the birds of 

 the state, by Dr. Hatch, with acknowledgements of aid to Mr. John 

 Roberts and his son, T. S. Roberts, W. L. Tiffany and G. W. Tinsley; 

 "Notes on a Remarkable Storm," by Geo. B .Wright, in which over 

 thirty inches of water fell during thirty hours about July 18, 1867; 

 the first installment of Meteorological Statistics by William Cheney, 

 beginning with 1864; "Notes on the Deep Well Drilled at East 

 Minneapolis in 1874-5," by Col. J. B. Clough, City Engineer; and the 

 reports of the committee on Conchology by Dr. Elliot, and of the 

 curator. Dr. Simpson. The fall meetings developed a new and fer- 

 tile subject when Dr. Leonard "made an interesting report on the 

 examinations of the mounds at Lake Minnetonka in August last, and 

 of the bones found therein, which he placed in care of the curator 

 of the museum." The next month he reported "the opening of a 

 new mound at Crystal lake. A few human bones and the vertebrae 

 of a snake were all that was discovered." A month later Mr. Tins- 

 ley "stated that he had discovered thirteen large mounds out at 

 Bloomington, giving a description of them; v/hile at the following 

 meeting Dr. Hatch "gave an interesting account of the opening of a 

 mound by Mr. Thurber at Lake Minnetonka. The mound was cover- 

 ed by stones, placed in the form of a roof, and immediately beneath 

 was a layer of wood, under which was an adult skeleton. One foot 

 below this were four others, making the four points of the compass; 

 one appeared to be an adult male, another an adult female, lying 

 with their bodies horizontal, head slightly raised and legs flexed. 

 The other two were children, with legs flexed in a similar manner, 

 but face down." 



The end of this third year marked an important event in the 

 history of the Academy and one which will call our attention to the 

 two other functions of the Academy besides its meetings, i. e., its 

 museum and library. A committee of Drs. Elliott, Hatch, and Simp- 

 son, appointed "to take into consideration the propriety of moving 

 the museum of the Academy to a more central location" where it 

 "would be visited by a larger number of people than at present and 

 thereby awaken a greater interest in its prosperity, looked for rooms 



