The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-27
VIEWS OF INDIANA SCIENTISTS.
The Subjects To Be Discussed at the Meeting
To Be Held This Week.

| The meeting OF the Indiana Academy OF
Science, on Dec. 20 and 80, in Superior Court
room No. 2. of the courthouse. will mark new
| departure in scientific work for Indiana In the
| early days of Indiana New Harmony was the Mecca
of Western science, and the Owens, Say, Lee
sueur, Rafnesque were the geological and
Biological teachers and prophets. For many
wears this quaint town was the head of the
United States q, >alogical Bureau, bnt as the
State University ola Asbury, and Wabash
College developed, its scien. NC worH' II not It's
glory, was transferred to these insl. o'ions' An0
publication of the economic geology of :. 10 0''''e
in the annual reports of Drs. Cox and Leve. W
and Of its paleontology in the later reports of
Prof Collett. has proved great step in ad-
vance, though these reports were necessarily
rude and fragmentary.
The forty seven papers to be read either BIZ alb
stract or title at the coming meeting are almost
entirely by college professors. Botany IS repre-
sented in papers by j. NJ and S. Coulter, Z. H.
Barnes, OF Purdue, j. W. Rose, of Wabash, and
Miss l.. j. Martin. of the city High-schooL
President Jordan and several OF his students
have technical papers on fishes. that OF Presl-
dent Jordan being upon the dispersion of this
group in the fresh waters of North America
This is a topic of intense interest as bearing
upon the subject of change of species due to en-
vfroninent, and will be presented as the presi
Dental address on the evening of wednesday.
Most of the seven papers on entomology are also
from students of the State University. Pro
lessor Branner, #. G. Mendenhall, DR.. A. j.
Phinney, of Muncie Prof D. w. Dennis, of
Earlham; Prof. Q. 2. Hay, Of Butler, and
Prof. J. L. Campbell, of Wabash, will ali present
geological papers emboiying original research.
Geology takes the lead in the programme, with
| fourteen papers, majority of them by Professor
| Branner ami his students. The peculiar loca-
| ton of the State University, the southern
| line Of glacial drift, and also midway of the
| great paleozoic rock system of Indiana, has
stimulated the spirit of geological research
| which imported by the Owens. Professor
| Hay, of Butler, the acknowledged authority on
| the reptilan fauna of Indiana, will present five
papers npon the subject. Prof Fl. W. Wiley. of
| Washington, has paper on the cause of the
variation of cane sugar in sorghum; Prof r.
| H. Baker of DePauw, q paper some new
akaoids, and DR.. Kirkwood paper on the zone
| of minor planets.
| There will be five sessions Of the society
! Coming the week of the State Teachers and
the Indiana College Association meetings. an
| opportunity will be afforded these bodies to see
| what is going about them In the science
world by their co-laborers. and also an oppor-
/ tunity for Indianapolis citizens interested in
science to see what is doing outside, for Indian
1 apolis contributes but paper, neither it's
chemists, the State Geological Department it's
eminent Fish Commissioner or Weather Bureau
| being represented.