AMERICAN ASSOCIA TION FOR THE AD VANCEMENT OF. SCIENCE. 313 



■mcnt of Danger iu Mining." At the request of the chairman the author of the 

 piper gave a brief recapitulation of its principal points, and claimed it to be 

 proved by the circumstances of the Albion Mines explosion : 



1. That coal-dust, under favorable conditions, becomes the vehicle of flame. 



2. That it thus spreads and augments gas explosions. 



3. That it may determine and precipitate explosions due to the presence of 

 inflammable gas in otherwise harmless and scarcely appreciable quantities. The 

 subject was further discussed by others, most of the time being occupied by 

 Professor Peckham, who regarded coal-dust, when finely pulverized, as an explo- 

 sive substance, and not merely a vehicle of flame. In proof of this he gave some 

 highly interesting facts concerning explosions of flour-dust in the mills of Minne- 

 apolis. He held that the matter was one of the greatest practical importance to 

 miners and millers. 



The following papers were read : 



"On Iso-picraminic Acid," Charles W. Dabney, Jr. 



" Composition and Quality of American Wines," Henry B. Parsons. 



" On Chlortribrompropionic Acid," C. F. Mabery and H. C. Weber. 



" Is the Law of Repetition the Dynamic Law Underlying the Science of 

 Chemistry?" Miss Virginia K. Bowers. 



" The Limited Biological Importance of Synthetic Achievements in Organic 

 Chemistry," Albert B. Prescott. 



" The Constitution of the ' Atom ' of Science," Mrs. A. B. Blackwell. 



" On Dibromiodacrylic and Chlorbromiodacrylic Acids," C. F. Mabery and 

 JRachel Lloyd. 



" Pentachloramyl Formate," Alfred Springer. 



" Evidence of Atomic Motion Within Molecules in Liquids as Based Upon 

 the Speed of Chemical Action," R. B. Warder. 



Prof. J. Lawrence Smith read two papers on the following subjects : " Iron 

 with Anomalous Chemical Properties," and " Hiddenite. a New American Gem." 



Prof. G: C. Swallow, of Missouri, read an able paper on "Ozark High- 

 lands," after which came a paper by Professor Edward S. Morse. In this paper 

 Mr. Morse showed that considerable change had taken place between the species 

 of shells forming the ancient deposits of shells made by the Indians along the 

 coast of New England and the same species living on the coast to-day. 



By measuring a large number of specimens from the deposits and a similar 

 number of specimens of the same species living to-day, he had found the propor- 

 tions of the shells constantly unlike. As an example he cited the common clam 

 {mya), the species as it occurs in the shell-heaps being higher in proportion to its 

 length than the same species living to-day. He had already called attention to 

 similar change? in the shell-heaps of the Bay of Yedo, Japan. 



Dr. H. D. Schmidt's paper " On the Influence of the Structure of the Nerve- 

 fibers upon the production and conduction of Nerve-force," was a long one — so 

 long that the Chairman felt obliged to prevent its full reading, it having alrear'y 



