66 
THE TALLET 2>T JLTTTIR^I-iIST. 
place, and traveled the whole course of 8 or 
10 miles in a few moments. In the centre of 
the track of the storm the ruins are mostly 
left in a northeasterly direction. But on 
either side of the centre of the track, the 
debris is left at every point of the compass. 
A Utile hail and rain fell a few moments 
before the work of destructi©n commenced. 
In all it measured less than a quarter of an 
inch, not enough to wet through the plas- 
tering of the houses that lost the roofs. 
During the whole of the storm a loud roaring- 
noise like the roar of the approaching of a 
thousand trains of cars, or the noise of the 
ocean while being lashed by a furious storm. 
Eobins were seen flying south on the 18th, 
Ducks and geese flying south on the 13th, 
21st and 28th. Sand-hill Cranes on the 29th. 
Black Birds on the 24th. 
The northwest was the prevailing wind as 
follows, viz: ii, w. 10 days, s. 8 days, s. e. 5 
days, s. w. 3 days, w. 3 days and n. 2 days. 
It was clear on 8 days, cloudy on 8 days, 
stormy on 8 days, frost on 8 days and hazy 
on 10 days. 
Missouri Weather Service— Sept., '78. 
PROF. F. E. jSTIPHER, DIRECTOR, ST. LOUIS. 
At the central station during the past Sep- 
tember the average temperature has been 
63.9°, the norma! temperature being 69.1°. 
The extremes of temperature were 88° on the 
8th and 44° on the 12th. In 1864 Dr. Engel- 
mann observed a September temperature of 
102.5°, while in 1839 a temperature of 35° was 
noted. The temperature of the month was 
therefore normal. 
In the state, the mean temperature has 
been, at Corning and Oregan 66.7, Boonville 
67.8, Lebanon 67.2, Kansas City 63.5, Lexing- 
ton 69.1, Neosho 63.7. 
On the 11th frost was observed over the re- 
gion n. of a line drawn through Sedalia and 
Hannibal (M. K. & P. R. R.) while on the 
12th and 13th the frost line passed through 
Neosho and St. Louis, being marked approx- 
imately by the St. Louis and San Francisco 
R, R. On the 21st and 25th, the frost line is 
marked by the Missouri river. Ice is re- 
ported to have formed at Big Creek (s. of 
Lincoln Co.) on the 12th and 21st, but was 
observed at no other station. Vegetation is 
everywhere unharmed on the uplands. 
On the 23d a hail storm at Macon, covered 
the ground with hail-stones about % inch in 
diameter. At the central station the rainfall 
has been 3.93 inches, an excess of 0.94 inch 
over the normal rainfall. In 1871 the Sep- 
tember rainfall was only 0.02, while in 1866, 
it reached 10.53 inches. Ten times in 42 
years the September rainfall has exceeded 
that of last September. 
In the state the area of greatest rainfall 
(over 3 inches) is bounded by the Iron Mt. 
and the St. L. & San Francisco railroads, 
while the belt of least rain extends along the 
Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad, includ- 
ing also the n. e. part of the state. In the n. 
w, part of the state the rainfall again exceeds 
two inches. 
Observers who do not note the time of be- 
ginning and end of rains, are earnestly re- 
quested to do so, as it will double the value 
of their work. 
REPORT FOR OCTOBER, 1878. 
The mean temperature of October, at the 
central station, has been 55.8°, the normal 
being 55.7°. The highest temperature of the 
month was 84° on the 14th, the lowest being 
25.4° on the 31st. The extremes of October 
temperature during 42 years have been 91.5° 
in 1867 and 21 in 1863. The past month has 
therefore a normal temperature. 
The rainfall was 3.39 inches, the normal 
rainfall being 3.05. The October rainfall has 
exceeded that of last month 12 times in 38 
years. During that time the greatest Octo- 
ber rainfall has ranged from 0.29 inch in 1872 
to 8.74 in 1847. 
" Black frost " (the temperature of the air 
falling to or below 32° F.), occurred on the 
27th, 28th, 29th and 81st. Last year black 
frost came 10 days later, on November 6th. 
In the state, the rainfall has exceeded 3 
inches in the n. w. and s. e., falling to less 
than one inch in a belt of country stretching 
from Wright City to Nevada. 
The snowstorm of the 26th was heaviest in 
the n. (2 inches deep) ; the snow line for this 
storm runs 20 miles s. of Louisiana* to near 
Lebanon, thence n. w. to Nevada. S. of this 
line the precipitation was heavy, but was in 
the form of rain. 
Tbe first black frost of the season in this 
state, occurred over the n. half of the state 
on the 18th. Black frosts were general on 
the 27th, 28th, 29th and 31st. 
Low temperatures have been observed as 
follows: 27th, Oregon 22.5°, Louisiana 24°, 
Macon 23°, Lexington 22°, Kansas City 21°; 
28th, Ironton 24°; 31st, Moberly 16°, St. Louis 
25.4°, Pleasant Hill 21°, Booneville 21°, Leb- 
anon 22°, Neosho 24°. 
Directions for Sending Insects. 
All letters desiring information respect* 
ing noxious and other insects, should be 
accompanied by specimens, the more in 
number the better. Such specimens should 
always be packed along with cotton, wool, of 
some such substance, in a little pasteboard 
box that is of convenient size, and never en- 
closed loose in the letter. Whenever possible 
larvae (L e. grubs, caterpillars, maggots, etc.) 
should be packed alive, in some tight tin 
box — the tighter the better, as air holes are 
not needed — along with a supply of their ap- 
propriate food, sufficient to last them on 
their journey; otherwise they generally die 
on the road and shrivel up to nothing. Along 
with the specimens send as full an account 
as possible of the habits of the insect, res* 
pecting which you desire information; for 
example: what plant or plants it infests; 
whether it destroys the leaves, the buds, the 
twigs, or the stem; how long it has been 
known to you; what amount of damages it 
has done, etc. Such particulars are often 
not only of high scientific interest, but of 
great practical importance. 
Th ^ Vallpv Naru^ali^l is rh j «. nl 1 
H^T I "I. J 1 
VALLEY NATURALIST 
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