80 CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES [Proc. 4th Ser. 



the spring and summer of 1870; and that he worked at Novato 

 Point, Marin County, in November of the same year. In a 

 paper published in the American NaturaHst (1874, pp. 14-18) 

 reference is made to "my late trip through the mountains 

 [Cuyamacas, near San Diego]," but no specimens taken at this 

 time have been found. 



Dr. Cooper was one of the most active of the early mem- 

 mers of the California Academy of Sciences, and was at dif- 

 ferent times connected with the institution in an official 

 capacity. An inspection of the Proceedings shows that during 

 the years 1862 to 1864, inclusive, Dr. Cooper was Curator of 

 Zoology of the Academy; in 1868 he was named Curator of 

 General Zoology; in 1869 he became Vice-President; during 

 the two years following he was Librarian; on June 26, 1871, 

 he was elected Corresponding Secretary; from 1887 to 1891 

 he was Director of the Museum; and from 1892 to 1896, 

 Second Vice-President. In addition to these offices he was 

 for some time Curator of Paleontology, and at the time of 

 auxiliary clubs he was President of the Zoological Club 

 (Emerson, 1899, p. 4). 



From the published results of Cooper's early work, namely, 

 that in Washington State (1853-1860) it appears that his 

 earlier scientific interests were in general natural history. His 

 later contributions (1861 and following), however, show a 

 pronounced concentration of attention on zoological investi- 

 gations, most of his work at this period having been done in 

 ornithology and conchology. The number and quality of his 

 published contributions demonstrate his merit as a scientific 

 worker, always taking into consideration the standards of the 

 day. His large accomplishments are all the more creditable 

 in view of the handicap of a frame which was apparently 

 never robust. 



In Dr. Cooper's personality, activity and energy were asso- 

 ciated with a becoming modesty and absence of a desire for 

 self-aggrandizement. It might well be said of him, as it was 

 of his father, that "With exceeding modesty and being, per- 

 haps, over-cautious in naming new species, he generously 

 permitted others to use his material, and sometimes to gain 

 the credit that might have been his own (Fairchild, 1887, 

 p. 72.)" 



