170 Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 
flower more conspicuous and attracting insects toit. It was, therefore, con- 
sidered that the Composite, as a family, stood at the head ot the Vegetable 
Kingdom, and that the Gamopetale were more highly specialized than the 
Polypetale. The paper also gave some ideas as to the heads of the Poly- 
petale and the Monocotyledons. The Leguminose were considered as the 
highest type of the Polypetale, and the Orchidez as the highest development 
of the Monocotyledons. A genealogical tree was given of the Monocotyledons, 
and the four families of Orchideze, Liliacez, Palme and Graminez were con- 
sidered as the heads of the four lines along which the Endogenous plants had 
developed. The impossibility of making a lineal arrangement of the orders 
of plants was pointed out and insisted on, and the only natural system that 
could be formed was considered to be that of placing the plants in a series of 
parallel lines along which they had developed. 
Mr. R. M. Moore read a paper on ‘‘The Connection Between the Present 
Astronomical Conditions and the Phenomena of Earthquakes, Volcanic Erup- 
tions, Tornadoes and Storms, now so Prevalent.’’ He said that all the 
exterior planets were now in perihelion, a condition which had not occurred 
for 3,738 years, and that this caused an increased strain upon the earth’s 
crust, which would give way at the weakest place and bring about such con- 
vulsions as the recent earthquake on the island of Ischia. This disturbed 
condition of earth and atmosphere would probably continue for some time. 
The two papers were referred to the Publishing Cominittee. 
Mr. R. B. Moore announced that since the last meeting of the Society two 
of its ex-Presidents had died, Dr. John A. Warder, on the 14th of July, and 
Mr. V. T. Chambers, on the 2d of August. The Society had also lost a friend 
in Mr. C. B. Dyer. 
Dr. R. M. Byrnes moved that committees be appointed to prepare memo- 
rials on these gentlemen for publication. 
The Chair appointed the following committees : 
On Dr. J. A. Warder—R. B. Moore, Dr. A. E. Heighway, Dr. A. J. 
Howe. 
On Mr. V. T. Chambers—Prof. J. W. Hall, Jr., Charles Dury, Davis L. 
James. 
On Mr. C.-B. Dyer—Dr. R. M. Byrnes, L. S. Cotton, Dr. F. W. Langdon. 
A letter from Mr. L. M. Hosea, accompanying a donation of a large Pyrula, 
from a mound in Tennessee, was read. . 
Mr. D. L. James called attention to a specimen of Astragalus cooperi, 
which had been collected recently by Dr. R. M. Byrnes, and which was shown 
among the donations on the table. The plant had not been observed by 
botanists of late years, though noted in the List of the Plants of Cincinnati 
by Mr. Thomas Lea. | 
Dr. A. J. Howe made a few remarks upon specimens of Acid Phosphate 
from South Carolina, and of Lignite from Dakota. 
Mr. A. F. Gray, of Danversport, Mass., was elected corresponding mem- 
ber, and Messrs. T. H. Aldrich and W. J. Martin, regular members. 
