310 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XVII. No. 425. 



The strength of the academy was shown by 

 a membership of fifty-eight at the fi.rst meet- 

 ing. With the membership badly scattered 

 in a large state, it was very satisfactory to 

 have an attendance of from fifteen to forty 

 at each session. The sessions were held in 

 the chemical lecture room of the Agricultural 

 College. The following papers were given: 



President's Address, ' Montana as a Field 

 for an Academy of Sciences, Arts and Let- 

 ters,' Morton J. Elrod, University of Mon- 

 tana. 



'An Experiment in Temperature as Affected 

 by Altitude,' Morton J. Elrod, University of 

 Montana. 



Two thermographs are placed at different 

 altitudes, one at 3,225 feet, the other at 5,100 

 feet. The instruments have been read weekly 

 since March last. The daily range of tem- 

 perature is greater at the base than at the 

 summit. During the early fall the higher 

 altitude frequently showed warmer tempera- 

 ture at night than the lower. In October and 

 November the instriunent at higher altitude 

 frequently registered more than twenty de- 

 grees colder than the one at lower altitude. 

 The mountain top at 5,100 feet frequently 

 showed positive and continuous rise in tem- 

 perature eight to twelve hours before the effect 

 was noticeable on the lower instrument. It 

 also cools much more quickly than the base. 

 The experiment is being continued, and read- 

 ings are made regularly. 



'A History of Botanical Collecting in Mon- 

 tana,' Dr. J. W. Blankinship, Agricultural 

 College. 



This is a very important paper, dealing with 

 the various expeditions and collectors and the 

 collections made by them. Brief histories of 

 expeditions are given, stating the localities 

 to which the expeditions were made, the names 

 of the collectors, the magnit^ide of the collec- 

 tion, and the institutions in which the her- 

 bariums are deposited. Many of the names 

 of collectors have been perpetuated in the 

 names of flowers, now common to botanical 

 collections. The history is carried down to 

 1898, when the writer began work in the state, 

 and will be completed later. Most of the 



papers covering the reports of the expeditions 

 are in the library of the agricultural college, 

 as are also many of the important herbariums. 

 The paper is an important contribution to the 

 botanical literature and work in the state. 



'An Investigation of Young's Modulus and 

 the Eigidity Modulus of Copper Wire as af- 

 fected by Twisting the Wire,' Professor J. E. 

 Monroe, State JSTormal School. 



The paper is the result of an experiment 

 in which the wire was twisted a given number 

 of revolutions. 



1. The object was to determine the effect 

 quantitatively. 



2. A wire was so arranged that each mod- 

 ulus could be determined under the same 

 conditions. 



3. Eirst test was made with the wire in its 

 normal condition; then with 10 complete 

 turns taken; then 20 more; then 30 more; 

 and so on until 360 turns were put into the 

 wire, out of which number 332.25 remained. 



4. Young's modulus increased quite uni- 

 formly from 1.13 XW to 1.159X10" in 

 dynes per sq. cm. The rigidity modulus de- 

 creased uniformly from 4.409 X 10" to 

 3.702 X 10" in grams' per sq. cm. 



5. The wire broke from the torsion at the 

 four hundred and fifth turn. Length of wire, 

 4.88 meters, diameter, 1.607 mm., density, 

 8.82L 



' Some Montana Geology,' with lantern 

 slides, Professor J. P. Howe, University of 

 Montana. 



' Collecting at High Altitudes,' with lan- 

 tern slides. Professor M. J. Elrod, University 

 of Montana. 



' The Problem of Meaning in the Light of 

 Development,' Dr. Wm. Chandler Bagley, 

 State Normal School. 



The combination of conscious elements into 

 meaningful compounds requires an explana- 

 tion in terms of the elements themselves. . 

 Looking upon consciousness as functioning 

 primarily for the modification of reaction, it 

 would seem that the muscular and strain sen- 

 sations are the most important factors in 

 meaning. These are also quite predominantly 

 ' marginal ' sensations, and it is probable from 



