The Secretary was instructed to extend to Professor W. II. Housh, 

 Principal of the High School, .-in expression of the appreciation of this 

 Board for his kindness in furnishing room in the High School building 

 for the work of cleaning the fossils lately excavated and giving them a 

 secure place for storage. 



Board adjourned. 



At a meeting of the Directors on Friday, October 15, 1909, there 

 were presenl Messrs. Bullard, Parsons, Watts, Collins, Keese and 

 Spalding. 



Air. Fordyce Grinnell, Jr., of 572 Marengo Avenue, Pasadena, was 

 elected to m< mb( i ship. 



In view (if the valuable acquisition of fossils from Banco La 

 Breaj the tender of geological and zoological collections; the necessity 

 for the proper housing and care of these valuable contributions to 

 science, and the increasing needs of the Academy, it was resolved to 

 place before the members and the public generally, a formal statement 

 of the financial requirements of the Academy, and solicit subscriptions, 

 to enable us to continue a work which has been so fruitful of results. 



A vote of thanks was unanimously given to Mr. John l>. Hooker 

 for an additional gift of $500.00 for the prosecution of the excavations 

 in Rancho La Brea. 



I toard adjourned. 



The Geological Section was convened October 15, 1909, at the resi- 

 dence of Mr. s. J. Keese, No. 1509 Shatto street. 



Professor William L. Watts was elected Chairman and George W. 

 Parsons was chosen Secretary for the year 1909-1910. 



Air. Parsons gave a most interesting account of the location of 

 the springs, wells and water holes of the deserts in California, Nevada 

 and Arizona, and the successful efforts made to induce the Slate and 

 County authorities to erect signs throughout these avid wastes, which 

 have resulted in the preservation id' many lives by directing- them to 

 the ni ai est water supply. 



Mr. L. W. P.eck presented upon the screen many views of the 

 desert, taken during his explorations, from Mono and [nyo Counties 

 on the north, to San Diego on the south. 



At the idose of the meeting, Mr. Keese exhibited with his lantern 

 some beautiful views of Lake Tahoe and vicinity. 



NOVEMBER. 



The regular meeting of the Academy was held on Monday evening, 

 November 1. 1909, in Symphony Hall. 



In the absence of the President and Vice-President, the assembly 

 was called to order by the Secretary, and Professor Dozier was requested 

 to preside. 



The subject for discussion was "The Desert, its Geologic and 



Scenic features, and Guide-Posts to Water." 



Mr. George W. Parsons related events of his journeys across the 



gold-producing arid lands of Mono, Inyo. Kern and San Bernardino 

 Counties and the southwestern portion of Nevada. 



During the construction of the Salt Lake railroad, the remains of 

 over thirty persons were found, and the shifting sands frequently un- 

 cover the bodies of those, whose empty water-cans told the story 



,,t' their fatal wandering from a water supply. Numerous metal sieji 

 posts have been erected throughout these deserts, with directions to 

 the ma, est water, and this life-saving work 's being prosecuted as 

 rapidly as funds become available by the state authorities ami the 



supervisors of t In se Counties, who have liecouie profoundly impressed 



by the representations of Mr. Parsons. 



77 



