322 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Gray, of Cambridge, J. L. Smith, of Louis 

 ville, J. S. Lovering, of Cambridge, John L 

 Leconte, of Philadelphia, Prof. J. E. Hil 

 gard and W. H. Dall, of the Coast Survey 

 S. A. Goldschmidt, the eminent young chem 

 ist from New York, and Prof. C. A. Young 

 besides a number of ladies of scientific attain 

 ments. Prof. J. K. Rees, of Washington 

 University, St. Louis, is the local Secretary, 

 to whom all inquiries should be addressed. 



As long ago as 1855, Professor G. C. Swal- 

 low, then State Geologist of Missouri, de- 

 clared in his official reports and otherwise, 

 that this portion of the state, and also Eastern 

 Kansas and Southeastern Nebraska, were all 

 underlaid with coal. He also pointed out 

 the existence of the immense deposits of lead 

 and zinc which have since been discovered in 

 Southwest Missouri and Southeast Kansas. 

 The long-worked vein of coal at Leavenworth 

 and the newly. discovered one at Rosedale, 

 now also testify to the correctness of Profes- 

 sor Swallow's statements and the remarkable 

 accuracy of his geological knowledge. 



The following items in regard to the eclipses 

 of the sun and moon as observed at this 

 city are furnished by Mr. W. W. Alexander, 

 Optician, No. 9 East 7th street: 



The observed time of the Solar eclipse of 

 July 29, 1878, was as follows, Kansas City 

 mean solar time : First contact, 3 hours 12 

 minutes 34 seconds, p. m. ; last contact, 5 

 hours 18 minutes 13 seconds ; duration from 

 first to last contact, 2 hours 5 minutes 39 sec- 



onds ; magnitude about 10 digits, or | of 

 sun's diameter. 



The Lunar eclipse of August 12, 1878, last 

 contact (alone observed here) with earth's 

 umbra, or darkest shadow, 7 hours 17 min- 

 utes 23 seconds, p. m., Kansas City mean 

 solar time. Duration from moon rise about 

 27 minutes. 



Of the September monthlies only Harper's 

 and the Atlantic have as yet made their ap- 

 pearance. Both are excellent numbers, con- 

 taining essays, stories and poems at least up 

 to the usual high standard of these magazines. 



The rain-fall at Kansas City, for the past 

 twelve months, as recorded and reported to 

 the Signal Officer at Washington was as fol- 

 lows: 

 August, 1877, rain fell 2 daystoamt. of 1.54 ins. 



September. 1877, " 



" 6 



" 3.66 " 



October, 1877, 



" 9 



" 6.96 " 



November, 1877, " 



" 8 



" 2.50 " 



December, 1877, " 



' 13 



« 2.6O «• 



January, 1878, " 



" 10 



" 1.27 " 



February, 1878, " 



" 8 



" 1.96 " 



March, 1878, 



" 14 



'* 3.45 " 



April, 1878, 



" 10 



" 2.70 " 



May, 1878, 



' 16 



« 4 51 „ 



June, 1878, 



" 16 



'« 2.62 «« 



July, 1878, 



' 10 



» 2.20 '• 



Twelve months, " 



"121 



" 35.97 " 



There were but four 



snow storms during 



the winter in which snow fell enough to be 



measured, the total fall 



for the season being 



just seven inches. 







The following 



tems 



are taken from the 



daily bulletin of the 



' Sig 



lal Office : 



LOCALITY. 



era' 







en 



a 

 p 



3 



San Francisco, Cal. 



7i° 



6o° 



64. 3 



Sacramento, " 



94 



81 



88.5 



Denver, Col. 

 Kansas City, Mo. 

 St. Louis, '• 



97 

 95 



96 



72 



75 

 76 



85 

 87 



87 



Observations taken at about 3 -.30 p. m. 

 each day for ten days, from August 3 to 12, 

 inclusive. 



The greatest change of temperature in 

 twenty-four hours occurred at Dodge City, 

 Kansas, and Denver, Colorado : at the for- 

 mer the thermometer indicated twenty-seven 

 degrees less at 3 130 p. m. on the 10th than 

 on the previous day at the same hour, and at 

 Denver twenty-three degrees less on the 9th. 



