Historical Sketch of Minnesota Academy of Science 437 



very able and elaborate paper on 'The Flora of Minnesota, — Its Trees, 

 Fruits, Flowers and Weeds,' at the March meeting in spite of its 

 adjourning premnturelj^ in consequence of the uncomfortable condi- 

 tion of the hall from cold." "Professor Dodge gave a very full de- 

 scription of some tests of building stones being made in the chem- 

 ical laboratory" of the University; and "Professor Pearson then read 

 a paper entitled 'Carbonic Acid in the Air.' The paper embodied ex- 

 periments and results of a series of investigations made by the au- 

 thor a few years ago in and near Boston, Mass." (April meeting.) 

 Both these papers were followed by much discussion on the part of 

 Professor Pike and Dr. W. H. Leonard respectively. The May meet- 

 ing was memorable for the splendidly able paper by Dr. A. E. .John- 

 son on "Whence came the Differnt Species of Varieties of Man?" 

 published later in the Bulletin and which proved to be the last of 

 the eighteen monumental papers by the "Father of the Academy." 

 His absorbing devotion and study of his fungi, especially his exces- 

 sive use of his microscope by lamp light by which he nearly lost 

 the sight of one eye, had already begun to break down his health; 

 sciatic rheumatism also began to cripple him. So that from about 

 this time he gave up his practice as a physian and began the long 

 series of invalid years of which he has now almost reached the end. 

 This paper of Dr. Johnson's on the evolution of man was immediately 

 followed by Professor Winchell's fine tribute to Charles Darwin in 

 the shape of resolutions on his death (printed in the Bulletin,) and 

 Judge Hemiup was appointed to prepare a memoir on the life and 

 works of Darwin. 



After some discussion at the June meeting "on insects injurious 

 to shade trees, especially the elms of the city," Mr. C. L. Herrick 

 gave the Academy some notes of his stay in Europe during the pre- 

 ceding months, and "Mr. J. Walker called attention to a peculiar in- 

 fusorium recently observed by him, etc." A special meting was call- 

 ed to extend an invitation, in conjunction with the enlisted aid of 

 the Board of Trade and officials of the city, to the American Associa- 

 tion for the Advancement of Science to hold its next yearly meeting 

 in Minneapolis; but this invitation could not be accepted. "Professor 

 Winchell read a paper on 'The Bibliography of the Mineralogy of 

 Minnesota,' with a list of minerals found in the state, with their 

 chief localities." (Published in the Bulletin.) At the November 

 meting "an interesting paper was read by John Walker, chairman of 

 the section of Microscopy, giving a review of the field studied by 

 the section during the past year. The work covered observations on 

 Entomostraca, micro-botany; especially Equisetum spores and outer 

 cells of Utricularia vulgaris, the micro-fungi, fresh-water algae, dia- 

 toms, also Infusoria, rizopods and other divisions of the Protozoa, 

 articulates, etc." The last meeting of 1882 found the Academy and 

 its museum again on the West Side, after only one year's second 

 sojourn on the East Side, having rented a room 44x80 on the third 

 floor of Anthony Kelly's Block, 110 Hennepin avenue, at $150 per 

 year. The expense of moving, finishing the room and fitting up of 

 new cases for these quarters was largely met by the activity and 

 generosity of Mr. T. B. Walker, who had been a member of the 

 Academy since February, 1879, had been chairman of the sections of 



