22 
THE YALLET lsr_A.TTJ^^-LIST. 
Missouri Weather Service— April, '78. 
PROF. F. E. NIPHER, DIRECTOR, ST. LOUIS. 
Central Station. — The mean temperature 
of the month was 61° 23' the normal temper- 
ature being 56°. The highest temperature 
was 81° on the 17th. In April of 1886, '70 and 
'71, Engelmann observed a temperature 
(April) of 93°. The lowest temperature of 
the past month was 41° 5' on the 1st. In 1857 
an April temperature of 18° was observed. 
The rainfall was 6.31 inches, the normal 
rainfall for April being 3.70 inches. Rainy 
days — nine. The highest April rainfall ob- 
served by Engelmann was 7.68 in 1850. 
Three Aprils out of 12 have had a greater 
rainfall than the one just past. Nearly all of 
the rain fell between the 15th and 25th, 3.52 
inches falling in five hours on the night of 
22-23d, while for 70 minutes, the rain fell at 
the rate of 2 inches per hour. No frosts have 
been observed. 
In the State — the rainfall was over 6 inches, 
in the region to the S. W. of St. Louis, this 
region being also remarkable for the scarcity 
of its weather stations. Here occurred the 
heaviest rain, during the storm of 22-23d, 
none falling on these, days in the northern 
part of the State, where crops have suffered 
somewhat from lack of rain ; the monthly fall 
having been from one to two inches. 
On the 23d at 3:30 a. m. (St. Louis time, at 
which time the rain ceased at St. Louis) a 
destructive storm passed through the swamps 
near Sikeston, going eastward to Charleston, 
beyond which it has not been traced in this 
State. It was accompanied by flashes of 
lightning, but with little thunder, which 
may have been obscured by the noise of the 
tempest. The storm lasted about an hour 
with a rainfall of 0.90 inches at Sikeston. 
The path of the storm was about 25 miles 
wide, and judging from the position of fallen 
trees, the storm had a whirling motion. 
Immense trees were blown up by the roots, 
others being broken off. The roar of the 
tempest mingling with the crash of falling 
timber, is described as having been terrific 
in the extreme. No lives are reported lost, 
but buildings were unroofed, and stock 
killed. Great damage was done around 
Charleston. 
Meteorological Report of the City of 
Oakland, California. 
BY J. B. TREMBLY, M. D., OAKLAND, CAL. 
Meteorological synopsis for the month of 
April, 1878. Observations taken at 7 a. m. 
and 2 and 9 P. m. Latitude 37° 48' 20" north. 
Longitude 120° 15' 20" west. Height above 
the sea 21 feet. 
BAROMETER. 
Mean barometer for the month 29.88 
Highest barometer, April 27, 9 p. m... . 30.19 
Lowest " " 15,7 a.m.... 29.52 
Monthly range 67 
thermometer. 
Mean temperature for the month 55.30 
Mean temp, of warmest day, April 7. . 62. 
" " of coldest day, April 13. .. 15.33 
Maximum temp, April 7, 2 p. m 73. 
Minimum " " " 15, 7 a. m 10. 
Greatest daily variation April 8 21. 
Least " " " 14 6. 
Monthly range of temperature 33 
Mean daily range of temperature 12.63 
WIND— 90 OBSERVATIONS. 
Southwest and west 38 
Northwest and north 12 
Northeast and east 3 
Southeast and south 5 
Calm 32 
The prevailing wind was westerly and at 
the close of the month the trade wind made 
its appearance in the beautiful weather, del- 
icious air and steel blue skv. Flowers and 
vegetation, although somewhat backward 
for the season, came forward with a rapid 
development and luxuriousness. Agricul- 
tural interests scarcely ever within the his- 
tory of the State appeared more promising 
of an abundant harv est than at the present 
time. The rainfall of the season or agricul- 
tural year has nearly compensated the defi- 
ciency of that of 1876 and 1877. Whether 
there is a compensating law controlling the 
rainfall at longer or shorter periods, can not 
be ascertained from the data at present 
known, but everything so far seems to indi- 
cate that the great meteorological law of 
weather compensation is not an exception in 
California. 
Review of the Meteorology of Monti- 
cello, Jones County, Iowa. 
BY m. m. moulton, vol. sig. ser. u. s. a. 
This branch of science seems to attract 
more attention than any other. There are 
stations springing up everywhere. To the 
farmers information about storms and more 
particularly about rain is of great impor- 
tance ; and information as to severe expected 
frosts, might save farmers, horticulturists, 
florists, nursery-men and persons engaged 
in raising garden products, a whole year's 
labor from destruction. 
Latitude of Monticello is 42.13; Longitude 
91.15; Elevation above sea level 800 feet; 
Magnetic variation 8.5 degrees east. Obser- 
vations were taken daily at 7 a. m. and 2 and 
9 p. M. 
Maximum Temperature for the year 
1877 93. 
Minimum Temperature for the year 
1877 20 
Mean Temperature for the year 1877- . 47.06 
Eainfall in inches for the year 1877. . . • 47.97 
Number of rainy days for the year 1877. 67 
Snow in inches for the year 1877 58,22 
A Queer Breakfast. 
Editor Valley Naturalist: 
Having just finished a hearty breakfast of 
delicious " toad stools," and feeling just 
now quite generous, I send you by mail 
herewith a few of the same that grow so 
abundantly here-about. Please in return 
send me the botanical name. 
I believe the Fungi of the U. S. are not yet 
worked up and published in a seperate 
work. Consequently very little of this in- 
teresting branch of botany is generally 
known, and many a delicious and most nu- 
tricious " toad stool " is kicked over as a 
"nasty poisonous thing." I propose to give 
them all "a gastronomical test" as they come 
along during the season— avoiding of course 
the few that give unwholesome signs. 
A description of the edible and non-edible 
mushrooms or toad stools of the Western 
States would very much interest our people. 
In No. 4 of the Valley Naturalist, in 
giving directions for sending insects, you 
tell us to send them " in a little pasteboard 
box," we do not always have one " of con- 
venient size " and shape as well as strength 
to stand the usage it gets in the mail bags, 
many a nice specimen has been ruined or 
lost on its way, in the mail, on account of the 
unfitness of this "little pasteboard box." 
Disappointment was often my lot, until I hit 
on the style of a box, such as I send you now 
containing the Fungi— and I am sure it will 
reach you in good order. This kind of a 
pasteboard box can be made by any one in a 
few moments, and of any desired shape or 
size— the material being always at hand— as 
any useless pasteboard box will do. It is of 
course a very simple thing to call your at- 
tention to, but sometimes the most simple 
things are the most useful ones, and very 
often they are the last ones thought of. 
Yours truly , 
Badger. 
Sheboygan, Wis., May 11, J 78. 
July issue— 8 pages, 24 columns. 
4> 
A Naturalist in Florida — Cruise of 
the " Rose Bud." 
BYW.W. CALKINS, CHICAGO, ILL. 
[Paper No. 3 concluded.] 
Of the same habits were several smaller- 
species living in damp places here and else- 
where. Among them were Melampus coffecf 
and M. bidentatus and Tralia cingulata. " In 
a marsh overflowed by the sea we obtained 
the fine shell Gassidiila corona, and a small 
salt water terrapin. I saw no land shells at 
Markesas, but was much astonished at first 
to observe wherever we went, hundreds of 
dead shells, such as Natica Pyrula, etc.,. 
walking over the sand, making a tremendous 
clattering as they jostled and tumbled over 
each other in mad attemps to escape. These' 
shells were occupied by " Hermit Crabs — 
peculiar crustaceans, with a body so alter- 
nated and soft that they are obliged to pro- 
tect it constantly by wearing this novel 
apparel, which they slip into when born and 
change occasionally for a better shell, or a& 
their growing necessities compel them to* 
seek a larger house. They get into this by- 
backing in the pliable slender bodv whicht 
follows the volutions of the shell. " Having- 
secured themselves firmly, nothing remains 
outside but the anterior portion— the claws- 
being the largest part and extending well 
forward. On being alarmed they will either 
run away or remain quiet and entirely close- 
the aperture of the shell with their claws... 
This species is known as Bupagurus polli- 
cars, Stin. A smaller species (jE. longicar- 
pus, Stm.) occurs abundantly in shallow 
waters and occupies the little univalve shells* 
such as Nassa, Golumlella, etc. A third! 
large species found by Dr. Stimpson andi 
ourselves, also exits in Florida. But wheth- 
er described I do not know. Quite as inter- 
esting as the " Hermits " are the " Soldier " 
crabs— Cielasimus mina and G-.pugna. They 
abound everywhere on the sea shore, living 
in holes dug in the sand, from which they 
sally forth in search of food. The slightest 
alarm will send them tumbling, fighting and 
scrambling to the nearest hole. If this 
chances to be already occupied, the intruder 
is quickly expelled. There are many other 
species which I cannot mention now. 
We had spent several days at Markesas.. 
The weather had been continuously delight- 
ful, and our collections large. It' was our- 
intention to sail directly for Tortugas after- 
looking over the Markesas, but several har- 
poons having been lost in sharks, it was de- 
cided to return to Key West for a new sup- 
ply, also ship home the specimens procured, 
and then sail directly to Tortugas. We left 
with regret, but time was precious, and so 
one afternoon w T e sailed away from this rich 
field, and that night about ten o'clock an- 
chored the " Rose Bud " under the walls o£ 
the Fort at Key West. 
The Orograph. 
At a meeting of the French Academy or 
Sciences, held December 10th, M. Schrader 
exhibited his orograph and a geographical 
map of Mont Perdu made with it. The in- 
strument consists of a circular paper- covered 
plate with central vertical axis carrying a 
sleeve which can turn round t'reelv. On the 
top of the sleeve is a telescope, the move- 
ments of whose frame in the vertical direc- 
tion are communicated to a pencil, and, 
transformed by gearing into to and fro 
movements. If the telescope describes a, 
circle round the horizon, the style describes 
a corresponding circle on the plate; if the 
telescope goes up or down, the trace pro- 
duced is further from or nearer to the cen- 
tral axis. A spirit level being fixed to the 
telescope, the circle made when it is even, 
gives a means of estimating the height and 
depressions.— [Scientific American. 
m 
