182 Proceedings of Societies. [ ZOE 
Fichte wrote a treatise on the subject of The Scholar, in which he 
represented the avocation of the genuine student of truth as the 
grandest and sublimest occupation of the human mind. In perus- 
ing his book, the reader by degrees becomes almost as enthusiastic 
as the writer was, and feels in every part of his sensitive system the 
verity of what the philosopher set forth. The glories of conquest 
and empire, the pride of kings, presidents and politicians, the 
glamor of family and wealth, all pass away. They are vanities. 
They are nothing. But what the scholar accomplishes endures and 
advances the race in the path of civilization and culture. In these 
days, quite as certainly as a hundred years ago, there is no greater 
man than the scholar, and among the scholars of California no one, 
perhaps, made a nearer approach to the character contemplated by 
the philosopher than our late honored member, Professor John Le 
Conte. THEODORE H. HIrtrTe.t. 
James F. HouGuHTon. 
July 6, 18917. President Harkness in the chair. 
Donations to the museum were reported from the following: L. 
_ Belding, W. S. Bliss, W. E. Bryant, Miss Alice Eastwood, W. 4. 
Golcher, R. C. McGregor. : 
The Librarian reported 129 additions to the library. 
The President announced the death of the following members: 
Henry Edwards, Charles Stephens, E. J. de Santa Marina. 
Dr. David Wooster read a paper on Stone Heaps in Arizona. 
Dr. H. H. Behr read a paper ona New Remedy for Snake Bites. 
CALIFORNIA BoTANIcAL Cius. May 2r, 189r. The President 
in the chair. : 
Dr. Behr read a paper on the benefits to be derived from a 
botanic garden. He called attention to the fact that countries of 
much more recent settlement than ours were far in advance of us 
in such respects, citing particularly the Australian colonies. The 
great value of such gardens in the study of botany and the intro- 
duction and acclimatization of beautiful and valuable plants. was 
pointed out. : 
The speaker enlarged upon the use of such a garden, where 
nearly related plants might be cultivated under similar conditions, 
and the degree of their relationship determined, and related some _ 
amusing anecdotes of certain botanists of the last generation who 
