land — but such a thing as a card Index is unknown nor have 

 they anything resembling an Index of subjects, and these de- 

 plorable deficiencies prevail generally throughout Italy, Aus- 

 tria. Germany and France. 



The greal Library of the Vienna University, in which I 

 passed many happy days during the five months of my stay 

 in that lively city, has neither a card index nor an index of 

 subjects. Everything is indexed by authors, in ponderous vol- 

 umes, and when I first requested a hook upon any subject 1 

 was invariably asked the name of the author. It was only 

 until I had interviewed the Librarian and explained the char- 

 acter of the books I desired, that he instructed one of his as- 

 sistants to look up the necessary volumes, and invariably I was 

 compelled to wait at least a day before the books could be 

 found, among their 2,000,000 documents. 



To those who desire more extended and minute informa- 

 tion concerning the Library of the Frari at Venice I recom- 

 mend the Work of M. Armand Baschel entitled "'Archives de 

 Venise — Chancellerie Secrete de la Republique Serenissime, 

 a volume not generally known in this country, but of consid- 

 erable historic value, and from which I have drawn for some 

 of the statements in this article. 



Transactions of the Academy 



Academy Meeting. 



The monthly meeting of the Academy was held on January J7. 

 1912, m Symphony Hall. 



'I'll.' President announced the death of Mr. William H. Avery, 

 whereupon the following memorial was unanimously adopted, viz: 



IN MEMOR1AM. 



The members of the Southern California Academy of Sciences have 

 learned, with sorrow, of the death of one of its mosl valued members. 



William II. Avery departed this life on January 19, 1912, at the 

 City of Los Angeles, when a vigorous old age seemed to premise many 

 years of usefulness. .Mr. Avery was a lite member of this Academy, 



ami his interest for its welfare aiel success, ami his material aid in all 



our efforts te extend our influence for scientific investigation were un- 

 ceasing, ami we place upon record our sorrow for the less of an ;iss,n 

 ate. identified with us in our work U>v intellectual advancement, ami our 



profound sympathy for those, the depth of wlmse serrew cannot be meas- 

 ured by words. 



The Biometric [investigation of the Sea was the title of the even 

 ing's lecture by Prof. Charles L. Edwards. 



The history of his studies of Ocean sea life, particularly along the 



California coast, was of absorbing interest, ami the stereopticon views 

 were the first of this character exhibited before this Academy. 



85 



