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



upon him by foreign scientists. In 1857, by a unique service, 

 he saved the land titles of San Francisco by proving, after 

 sixty hours of continuous work, that the Limantour seal on the 

 claimant deeds was a forgery. In 1862 he was called east to 

 take charge of the engineering work in connection with the 

 defence of Philadelphia against Lee's invading army. He was 

 then placed in command of the armed Coast Survey vessel 

 "Vixen," for work on the Florida coast. In 1867 he was sent 

 to explore the Isthmus of Darien for the purpose of locating a 

 route for a ship canal. From there, Davidson was ordered to 

 make a survey of Alaskan waters, and his report largely in- 

 fluenced Congress to act favorably on the purchase of Alaska. 

 His series of astronomical observations, taken in order to throw 

 light on the problems of the variation of latitude, were termed 

 by German scientists "a gigantic labor." In 1891-92, in a 

 period of fifteen months, he made no less than 6878 observa- 

 tions. During President Cleveland's first administration, he 

 was one of the seven members of the Mississippi River Com- 

 mission. In 1872 he was selected by President Grant for the 

 important and delicate mission of sounding the sentiment of 

 British Columbia on the annexation question, which was then 

 disturbing that Province. 



The existence of the California Academy of Sciences is 

 largely owing to the work which George Davidson did for it 

 during its early history. He became a member of the Acad- 

 emy in 1869, was elected President in 1871, and was re- 

 elected each successive year until 1887. He always took a 

 deep interest in the success of the society. His activities did 

 much to give it prominence in the world of science, and to 

 make its meetings conspicuously interesting. If there was no 

 special subject announced to engage the attention of the regu- 

 lar session, he could always draw upon his own inexhaustible 

 fund of scientific knowledge to fill the hiatus. He was always 

 on the alert for eminent scientists, or other notable visitors to 

 San Francisco, who could be induced to address the meetings of 

 the Academy. Conspicuous among such may be mentioned 

 Dr. Louis Agassiz, Captain De Long of the Jeanette polar ex- 

 pedition, and Lieutenant Schwatka returning from his explora- 

 tions in Alaska. He took the initiative, and did more than any 

 other, to secure from James Lick the magnificent endowment 



