440 
PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON. 
436th Meeting. April 13, 1895. 
President Dall in the chair. 
Thirty-four members present. 
Mr. Simon Newcomb read a paper on The variation of latitude 
as affected by meteorological causes. [Published in the Astro¬ 
nomical Journal, vol. xvi, p. 81, and vol. xix, p. 158.] 
It was discussed by Messrs. Bigelow, Dall, Abbe, PI. Far- 
quhar, Christie, Harkness, Kummell, and Gilbert. 
Mr. Cyrus Adler read a paper on The cotton grotto, an ancient 
quarry in Jerusalem. 
Mr. W J McGee read a paper on Certain influences of aridity 
on life. [Published in revised form under the title The begin¬ 
ning of agriculture, in the American Anthropologist, 1895, Octo¬ 
ber, vol. viii, pp. 350-357.] 
437th Meeting. April 27, 1895. 
President Dall in the chair. 
Thirty-one members and guests present. 
Announcement was made of the death, on April 12, 1895, of 
Mr. W. L. Nicholson. 
Mr. J. S. Billings read a communication on Municipal mor¬ 
tality statistics in the United States. [Not published.] 
It was discussed by Messrs. Pawling, Tittmann, and New¬ 
comb. 
Mr. F. H. Bigelow read a paper on The earth, a magnetic shell. 
[Published in American Journal of Science, 1895, August, vol. 
50, no. 296, pp. 81-99.] 
It was discussed by Messrs. Christie and Dall. 
