The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-29
WORK OF THE SCIENTISTS
Papers on a Wide Range of Subjects
Read Before the Academy.
Various Standardization Csmpbelrs
Polished Address.

Vice president j. C. Arthur presided at
the opening of the Academy of Sciences yes
terday morning. President Campbell being
absent. The attendance was small, owing
TO the early hour at which the session
opened.
To save time the minutes were not read.
The report of the committee on programme
to the executive committee was concurred
in and the sectional meetings of the after
noon sanctioned by the academy. The re-
port of the committee on publication urged
the necessity of the academy's proceedings
being published in detail by the State. No
action was taken on the report by the men,
bers.
The report Of the committee on legisla-
ton was received and the committee con-
tlnued. The editors report showed q neat
pamphlet, containing the proceedings Of
the last session. A rule was adopted re-
curing all papers to be Aft with the seq
rotary at the time Of their presentation,
otherwise their authors might understand
that their work would appear In tho
printed report by title only.
The selection OF new committsemen oc-
cupied some little time. 1t was found
" w NVlaAA0
of work done by the academy, to partial
ly relieve the permanent secretary, Mr.
Butler. Professor Stanley Coulter was
designated as his assistant. Z. A. Waldo,
to give q partial resume of the executive
commlttee's proceedings on the night be-
fore the reading of papers began. Mr..
Waldo dwelt upon the Importance Of the
publication of the papers read. the bind.
etc. 1t was found that additional assess
ments would be necessary to insure better
bound books. The committee on publica-
tIon was continued. and their work heart
lily approved.
The first paper on the programme on
The Modern Geographical Distribution of
Insects In Indiana" by K. M. Webster, was
not read, as Mr.. Webster could not be pres
emit. NJ. A. Brannon read q paper on The
Reproduction and Development of Grin
nellia Americana Harv." The paper was O
technical one. dealing with sea weed forms.
of interest only to the members of the
academy.
MANS EARLY EXISTENCE Il INDIANA.
Prof. A. W. Butler found evidences OF
mans early existence In this State from
the oldest river gravels along the White
water river. The paper proceeded from in
vestigations made near Brookville, in the
Whitewater valley. where four distinct
stratified alluvisl terraces represent rest
Al pcIiOub III INC TlN6Ib oIO5lOu VI bDo
valley after it had been partially filled by
s~edimentary deposits of mud and gravel.
In the first terrace had been found ashes
and charcoal in strata of q and gravel
together with q rock which was considered
the result of artificial work. From tho
depth of the ashes and charcoal was de-
duced the conclusion that O campfire had
been submerged and buried. The deposit
of ashes and charcoal was about fifteen
feet below the level of the top of the ter
raca and VIVA from the aana laval nf n
Clipped piece of This was considered
an un~disputable evidence Of fire, and fire
OF course was an evidence OF mans exist
ence.
At the conclusion of the paper Prof. o.
p. Hay took occasion to doubt that the ex-
istence of fire was proof of the existence of
man, as the fire might have been caused
by lightning striking o forest tree, etc., to
fire had occurred in the bed of the stream.
where no tree growth had existed. The
discussion passed.
The remaining papers of the forenoon
were for the most part of q technical
nature. of interest only to specialists in the
departments represented. Among them the
description of an extremely sensitive gal
vanometer by DR.. Snow. of the State Uni
versity, and of an air thermometer for the
determination of high temperatures by
Professor Noyes were of especial interest
because of their novelty. Local Varia-
tions," by Professor Eigenmann, gave
graphically the regional variations in
structure of specific forms. taking Or illus
~tration the group OF fishes. NJ. MacDougal
presented an interesting resume of the
botanical work of the government
in western Idaho. work which
had its greatest value In the
An extreme case of parasitism. presented
by DR.. Hessler. gave an account of q
phenomenal case of the disease known as
Norway itch. together with calculation OF
the number Of itch mites and eggs upon
the body of the patient, a Der rum
ming mp into the millions. The subsequent
discussion and confession of DE-. Brayton
added to the value of the paper.
WORE OF THE SECTIONS.
For the afternoon the academy, on &C.
count of the multiplicity of papers, was
divided into three sections. Tho section
of botany. presided over by Vice president
Arthur, met in Room 81, and discussed
papers of a mere technical character.
1.-THE Application of Mathematics in
Botany" by Miss Katherine E. Golden,
presented q somewhat novel method of
exact statement in botany. This was fol-
lowed by q valuable paper on 1.-The Fertil-
ization and Development of the Embryo In
senecio Aureus M~archantia." not a typ
ical l~iverwort, by l.. NJ. Underworld;
plants of the Southwestern Counties of
Indiana" by j. 8. Wright; preliminary
Notes on the Genus Cactus" an auxan-
| ometer for registration of growth of
stems in thickness. by Miss Katharine Col
den; The Genus Corallohizs." by Prof. u.
b. Thomas; The Need of q Large Library
of Reference in CryptoRnmic Botany by
l.. M. Underwood. and Developments of
Ovule in Aster and Solidago," by j. w.
Martin. ALI the papers were of value and
interest to the participants in the section,
but, apart from the evidence of scientific,
of no interest to the general public.
| Prof. y. p. Hay presided over the zoolog-
ical and archaeological section in the aft
ernoon. DIR. j. T.. Scovell read q paper on
Zoology snd Mexico" The paper began
with the conquest and dwelt upon the
Aztec ruins. with the opinion hat the pre-
| vious race possessed more intelligence and
energy than the Spaniards. The Aztocs
were forest-clearers and builders. The
pyramids of San Juan Teontacan were de-
| scribed and their possible services In an
Gent timee prospected. Several specimens
of decorative molding were exhibited.
showing that q low grade of civilization
existed at even such q remote period.
These runs are considered to be of the
want OF time the paper was obstructed.
DIR. Scovell, after some discussion. followed
with q paper on the description and eleva-
tion of Mount Orizaba. with something
about the climate and glaciers Of Orizaba
and Popocatepetl. DR.. Scovell. by using a
surveyors transit MP to fourteen thousand
feet and aneroiG barometer the rest of the
distance computed the elevation as is, S14
feet.
DR.. Scovel quoted Hugo Fink. who said
the glacial periods were as plainly marked
In the region of Popocatepetl az in any
other portion OF America