the ir^LLiers: ^jL^xriBbj^x&m 
43 
1876 1877 1878 
Mean temp, of warmest day. 10.01 61. £5 59.20 
" "' of coldest day . .64. 66. 64.33 
Maximum temperature 84. 81. 79. 
Minimum " " .....52. 51. 52. 
Greatest daily variation 31. 27. 24. 
Least " " 6. 8. 9. 
Mean barometer for month. .29.86 29.84 29.86 
Mean relative humidity 86.30 83.60 87.05 
Numbef of clear & fair days . 27. 29. 28. 
"Without records of reference it would 
hardly seem possible that such an uniform- 
ity of meteorological phenomena could exist 
from year to year. The extremes of com- 
pensation are very little, and are almost daily 
compensated either by an increased or di- 
minished temperature. This, however, is the 
temperature of Oakland, but a short distance 
inland, the heat is torrid, parching and crisp- 
ing upon animal and vegetable life. Although 
the heat is much greater than in the Central 
and Atlantic States, still there is not the op- 
pressiveness about it as there, for conversa- 
tion with those who have experienced the 
extreme heat in both sections of the country 
and been exposed out of doors to the direct 
rays of the sun and the various vicissitudes 
of the weather, a temperature of 100 to 114° 
can be borne here much easier than there. 
Many times when the heat ranges only from 
80 to 90° in the shade here, the atmosphere 
is dry, all moisture is quickly taken up, the 
skin and lungs are robbed rapidly of the nat- 
ural secretions, the system feels the heat in 
a far different way than there, and it is quite 
questionable whether not of a more perma- 
nent and dangerous character. By inquiry 
of those who have observed fatal cases from 
the effects of heat here, the symptoms are 
entirely different from those who perish 
where the heat is less than the normal tem- 
perature of the body. If this observation be 
true, it is worthy the attention of the pathol- 
ogist, as well as the physiologist, to enquire 
into the pathological difference in death from 
the cause of heat. 
Missouri Weather Service— July, '78. 
PROF. F. E. NIPHER, DIRECTOR, ST. LOUIS. 
July has been warm and dry. At the Cen- 
tral Station, the mean temperature has been 
81.6 the normal July temperature being 79.2. 
The temperature of the 2d decade (10th to 
20th) was 88.4. The highest temperature 
reached was 97. on the 16th and 17th. In 
1860 a July temperature of 104 was reached, 
while June of 1870 gave a temperature of* 
101.5 The lowest temperature of last month 
was 62.5 on the 3d. 
The rainfall was 2.87 in., the average July 
rainfall has been less than for the past July, 
14 times out of 39. 
During the second decade, 154 persons died 
in St. Louis from sunstroke, 41 cases occurr- 
ing on the 15th. It is worthy of note that 
the maximum temperature did not then 
occur, nor was this the warmest day, the 
mean temperature of days preceding and 
following being greater. The relative hum- 
idity was, however, greater on the 15th than 
for days immediately preceding and follow- 
ing. The cause for the large mortality is 
doubtless to be found in the summation of 
various prejudicial influences, which reached 
a maximum at that time. 
In the State, high temperatures have been 
observed as follows : Neosho 96° on the 13th, 
Lebanon 95.5, 14th; Ironton 102, 20th; Boon- 
ville 101, 15th; Lexington 95, 15th; Hamilton 
102, 13th, and 100, 15th; Oregon 95.5, 13th. 
The rains in the State have been very local 
in character. The greatest monthly rain was 
atChillicothe7.57 and Oregon 7.18. The least 
rainfall was at Bolivar 0.50, and St. Charles 
0.70. On the 1st a heavy rain occurred over 
most of the State, a rain of 4.38 being re- 
corded at Chillicothe as occurring in 8 hours 
The present report has been delayed by 
reason of our work in terrestrial magnetism 
in this state. 
Meteorological Repart of Monticello, 
Jones County, Iowa. 
BY M. M. MOULTON, MONTICELLO, IOWA, 
The weathor for the past month of August 
has been dry and hot. Although the mean 
temperature and amount of rainfall is about 
normal, yet in the monthly distribution of 
the same it left the ground exceedingly dry, 
and the atmosphere exceedingly hot. The 
highest temperature reached for the month 
was 92° on the 18th, against 89 degrees last 
year. The lowest temperature was 57° on 
the 30th, against 48° last year. 
The mean temperature for the month was 
70.9° against 70.1° last year. The month as a 
whole has been about normal. The temper- 
ature of well-water was 50° or 1° above last 
year. Bain fell on 6 days against 5 days last 
year. Total amount of rainfall was 3.07 in. 
against 6.75 inches last year, which was about 
normal. It thundered and lightened on the 
15th, 17th, 19th, 20th and 23d. It was foggy 
on the 9th, 20th and 22d, and hazy on the 
29th. 
A meteor was visible on the evening of the 
31st. The N. W. was the prevailing wind, as 
follows, viz.: n. w. 10,days, calm 5 days, n. 
e. 4 days, s. w. 4 days,?w. 4 days, s. e. 3 days, 
and s. 1 day. 
It was clear on 4 days, cloudy on 2 days, 
stormy on 6 days, foggy on 2 days, and hazy 
on 1 day. 
The mean temperature for the summer 
months of June, July and August, 1878, was 
71.8° against 69.9° last year, and was 1.6° 
above the normal. 
From C. J. Maynard's "Guide." 
Collecting and Preserving Mammals. 
SECTION II— MEASURING. 
To measure a mammal preparatory to skin- 
ning, place it upon its back, then with the 
dividers measure the distance from the tip 
of the nose to the front side of the eye, re- 
cord this as " the distance from the tip of 
nose to the eye," then from the tip ©f the 
nose to the ear; this is "the distance from 
the nose to the ear;" then from the tip of the 
nose to the occiput, or back of the head, for 
" the distance from the nose to the occiput." 
With the rule find the distance from " the 
nose to the root of the tail," also the distance 
from "the tip of the nose to the tip of the 
longest toe of the outstretched hind leg;" 
then with the dividers find the length of the 
vertebra of the tail from the root, this is "the 
length of the tail to the end of the vertebra." 
With the dividers, measure the hair on the 
end of the tail for " the length of the hair." 
Measure the length of the hind leg from the 
knee-joint to the tip of the longest toe for 
" the length of the hind leg." Measure the 
length of the front leg from the elbow- joint 
to the tip of the longest claw of the longest 
toe, this is " the length of the front leg." 
The width of the hand is found by measuring 
the the width of the outspread forefoot or 
hand. Now measure the length of the ear 
on the back side, from the skull to the tip, 
for " the length of the ear." Measure " the 
width of the muzzle" between the two nos- 
trils; in animals larger than a gray squirrel, 
measure the "girth " with a tape-measure, 
or piece of string, just back of the forelegs. 
These measurements will answer for all 
excepting the bats, in measuring which, pro- 
ceed as before; but, instead of the forelegs, 
find " the length of one wing," " the length 
of the wing to the hook or thumb," and "the 
stretch of wings " as in birds. 
Seals also vary slightly; instead of the 
word "leg" use "flipper" and find the width 
of the hind flipper as well as the width of 
the fore one; also in addition, "the distance 
between the fore-flippers." The sex of a 
mammal is easily determined without dis- 
secting. These measurements are to be first 
recorded upon a strip of paper, and after- 
wards copied into a book, as seen in August 
number, first page. 
SKINNING. 
To skin a mammal, place it upon its back; 
make a longitudinal incision in the skin over 
the abdomen, extending from the root of the 
tail about one fourth of the length of the 
body. Peel down each side, pushing for- 
ward the leg so as to expose the knee-joint; 
sever the leg from the body at this place, and 
clean the bone; proceed in this manner with 
the other leg. In small animals, sever the 
tail as close to the body as possible, leaving 
the bone in; but in large animals it can gen- 
erally be removed by placing two pieces of 
wood on each side of the bone against the 
skin, holding them firmly in place with one 
hand, and after giving a strong pull with 
the other the tail will slip out easily. With 
some animals, such as the Beaver, Muskrat, 
Skunk, etc., this can not be done; then the 
skin of the tail has to be opened the whole 
length, and the bone removed. Proceed to 
draw the skin down towards the head, until 
the forelegs appear; sever these at the knee- 
joint, and clean the bone as before. Draw the 
skin over the head, cutting of the ears close 
to the skull. Use caution in cutting the skin 
from the eyelids and in severing the lips from 
the skull, so as not. to injure their outward 
appearance. The skull is to be detached en- 
tirely. Cover the inside of the skin well 
with arsenic, and if large, rub it in well with 
the hand, but be sure that every part is poi- 
soned. 
{Continued^) 
