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



dence of active interest in the Academy's affairs by its 

 members. 



As the business affairs of the Academy are in the hands of 

 its Trustees, these stated meetings should be devoted primarily 

 to the discussion of scientific subjects. This has been the 

 case only to a limited extent since the Academy has been 

 housed in temporary quarters. The time has now come when 

 there should be a resumption of the old practice of giving 

 those who are actively engaged in scientific work, whether 

 within the Academy or without, frequent opportunity of pre- 

 senting the results of their work in a more or less informal 

 way to those who are interested. Some steps toward encour- 

 aging the use of the stated meetings for this purpose have 

 already been taken; but the afternoon meetings are ill 

 adapted for this purpose, and it is believed that it will be wise 

 to return at an early day to the old practice of meeting in the 

 evening. 



The Academy has been accumulating a large amount of 

 material in its temporary quarters. Most of this is for refer- 

 ence and study. At the present time the collection, together 

 with the library, which has also assumed fair proportions, 

 taxes the available floor-space nearly to its limit. The need 

 of permanent and large quarters, and the need of a place in 

 which exhibits for the benefit of the public may be installed, 

 has been an ever-increasing one. 



THE NEW MUSEUM BUILDING 



The Academy was granted, by a vote of the people of San 

 Francisco on November 15th, 1910, the right to erect a 

 museum building in Golden Gate Park. Preparations to 

 avail ourselves of this privilege have been under way for 

 several years. The plans for a building have been finally 

 accepted by the Academy, and have been approved by the 

 Park Commissioners. Contracts have been awarded for the 

 grading, the brick and concrete work, and the stone work 

 required for the erection of the first unit of the proposed 

 building. This first unit, consisting of a section of the main 

 front of the building with two wings, of which one is to be used 

 for research work, will cost about $164,000. 



