EDITORIAL 



Upon the ex-enini^- of Saturday, October 17, 1914, the 

 twenty-third year of the establishment of the Academy of 

 Sciences was celebrated 1)y a lianquet at the City of Los 

 Angeles. Around the l)oard were seen the faces of many 

 who had been its founders in 1891, and among- these were 

 Dr. A. Davidson, who was the second President, serving from 

 1892 until 1894; William LI. Knight, wdio succeeded him until 

 1897; William A. Spalding, who wielded the gavel until 1899, 

 and subsequently for four successive terms from 1909 tf> 1913, 

 and Uernliard R. IJaumgardt, who was Secretary for thirteen 

 years, from 1893 until l'X)6, when he became President. 



It was a happy reunic^n for many and a most interesting 

 occasion of retrospection and introspection. 



Mr. Spalding, as the princij^al speaker of the evening, gave 

 a most feeling and interesting relation of the Activities of the 

 Academy, its victorious concjuests over tinancial discourage- 

 ment, and in an environment of a newly settled land where 

 few had the leisure or inclination to give attention to the 

 higher intellectual attainments. 



Air. Spalding's address is a valuable contribution to the 

 history of this Academy and it will be found in this issue of 

 the Bulletin. 



An interesting e]:)isode of this anniversary meeting was 

 the ])resentation b}- Dr. Davidson of a gavel, undoubtedly the 

 only one of the kind in existence. 



Dr. Davidson conceived the idea of utilizing some of the 

 ancient relics of the Brea pits in a way that might commem- 



