6 PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 
296TH MEETING. JANUARY 29, 1887, 
The President in the Chair. 
Thirty-six members present. 
Announcement was made by the President of the death of Gen- 
eral Witi1AmM B. Hazen, a member of the Society, which took 
place at 8 p. m., January 16. 
Mr. F. W. CLarke read a paper entitled 
THE PRESENT STATUS OF MINERALOGY. 
[This paper is expected to appear in the Popular Science Monthly. ] 
A paper by Mr. R. T. H1x1, entitled 
THE TOPOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY OF THE CROSS TIMBERS OF TEXAS, 
was then read by Mr. W J McoGex, as Mr. Hit had been called 
away from the city after his paper was placed upon the programme. 
[This paper appeared in full in the American Journal of Science, 3d 
series, 8°, New Haven, 1887, April, vol. 83, pp. 291-303. ] 
297TH MEETING. Frpruary 12, 1887. 
The President in the Chair. 
Forty-one members and guests present. 
The President announced that Mr. Frank Hatt Knowiton 
had been elected to and had accepted membership in the Society. 
A letter was read from the secretary of the Anthropological 
Society announcing that Mr. Alfred Russell Wallace would deliver 
an address Tuesday evening, February 15, on “Social versus Polit- 
ical Economy” before the Anthropological Society, and inviting 
the members of the Philosophical Society and their friends to be 
present on that occasion. 
Mr. H. A. HAzen made a communication on 
THE SKY GLOWS OF 1883. 
This communication was discussed by Messrs. Paun, E. Far- 
QuHAR, WINLOCK, and the author. 
