PROCEEDINGS OF THE KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 4f,l 



Geo. S. Chase's paper on a " Preliminary List of Kansas Invertebrate Fos- 

 sils " was read by title, the author being absent. It will be published in the pro- 

 ceedings. 



Prof. H. S. S. Smith, of the State University, read a paper on "The Consti- 

 tution of the Sun."* He described the rotation of the sun, its superficial ap- 

 pearance under high power of the telescope and the appearance and modification 

 of the sun's spots. The spectroscopic appearance shown in the examination of 

 the sun's spots, prominences and corona were described. The last he stated to 

 be of unknown extent, origin and composition. Among other things he stated 

 that the radiant energy of the sun's heat equals 10,000 horse-power to each square 

 foot of its surface. The theory of the writer of the essay was that the body of the 

 sun was in a gaseous state. 



Mr. S C. Mason, of Manhattan, presented a list of Riley county fossils, and 

 stated that rocks of the county belong to the Permocarboniferous and furnish a 

 great variety of fossils. The list names fifty-seven species belonging to several 

 classes, and gave distribution and other interesting data. 



The Academy then adjourned to meet at 2 o'clock. 



The first production of the afternoon was " A Visit to the Mammoth Cave," 

 by Prof. Lovewell. The essay was a very interesting description of a trip through 

 that cave, made by the Professor last summer. 



Prof. F. H. Snow, of State University, described his archseological explora- 

 tions in the Pecos Valley, New Mexico, where he, with several others encamped 

 for one week last summer. They first began excavations on the site of the old 

 Pecos church, but were stopped by the priests. They had dug a shaft about five 

 and one-half feet down, however, and found a coffin and a few bones and a por- 

 tion of clothing. A few feet below they found a fire-place and indications of fire 

 of long standing. Still further down in the lower layer they found a skull and 

 some pottery, and these relics and some stone implements that they found about 

 the site they brought away with them. On a hill opposite the church they found 

 specimens of pottery of the most ancient type, and also specimens of more recent 

 origin. In one locality they found specimens of slag and indications of supposed 

 mining shafts. The supposition was that these were evidences of mining by the 

 ancient Pueblos. 



Mrs. Joseph Savage recited an original poem that was very fine. It dis- 

 cussed the agreement of the two revelations of Genesis and geology, in a very 

 happy manner. It was loudly applauded. 



Prof. W. M. Crichton, of Topeka, read an essay on "The Physical Basis of 

 Ghosts." The essay was presented in beautiful language and held that the 

 physical basis of ghosts was in the mind of the person who saw them. The 

 paper provoked an animated discussion on ghosts in general. 



Prof. Plank, of Independence, Kansas, presented an interesting outline of 

 the flora of Montgomery county, describing the species of plants found there. 

 Many of them are peculiar to that locality and of great interest and beauty. 



*This paper appears in the present number of the Review. — Ed. 



