516 



Stated Meeting, October 21, 1870. 



Dr. Emerson in the Chair. 



Present, seven members. 



Dr. Brinton stated that the Choctaw Grammar, recently 

 published by the Society, is being translated into German. 

 It appears from two letters recently received from Dr. Berendt, 

 at present prosecuting his researches into the Maya language 

 and history in Central America, that he has added an ad- 

 ditional amount of knowledge of the subject equal to that 

 which was possessed before. 



Prof. Cope read a paper on the Osteology of Megaptera 

 Bellicosa, one of the few whalebone Avhales of economic value 

 found within the tropics. He gave a detailed account of the 

 structure of a specimen from the island of St. Bartholomew, 

 W. I., and its variations from known species of Megaptera, 

 especially in the forms of the mandible and nasal bones. 



Dr. Emerson read a paper on the part taken by the 

 American Philosophical Society and Franklin Institute in 

 establishing stations for meteorological observations, detailing- 

 arrangements for procuring full reports from fifty-two points 

 in the State of Pennsylvania. He spoke of the important 

 bearing which those efforts had had upon the present state of 

 meteorological science. 



In February last, the Congress of the United States passed a law for 

 instituting meteorological observations throughout the country by means 

 of Government telegrams. This duty has been assigned to the War De- 

 partment, and active measures are now in progress to carry out the 

 objects contemplated by the act of our National Legislature. 



Through the medium of a pamphlet issued by the Signal Officer 

 api)ointed by the War Department, we are informed that stations for 

 making observations have already been designated throughout all of our 

 States and Territories, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. By such means, 

 we shall soon be put in possession of data for determining the conditions 

 of the atmosphere over a vast region, and enabled to trace the boundaries 

 and progressive movements of storms and tornadoes, which, generally 

 following definite courses, may have their coming anticipated through 

 storm signals. 



