BULLETIN 



OF THE 



Soui)li6rn Galllornia flcademii oi Sciences 



VOL I LOS ANGELES, CAL, JANUARY, 1902. NO. I 



INTRODUCTORY. '•'OTANiJCAL 



In the year 1891 some twenty persons interested in scientific lore and 

 research met in a small hall in Los Angeles and formed the Southern 

 California Science Association, subsequently reorganized under its. present 

 title, The Southern California ^Academy of Sciences. 



Dr. M. H. Alter called the first meeting to order and was elected 

 president. He was succeeded by Dr. Anstruther Davidson, V/m. H. 

 Knight, W. A. Spalding, Abbot Kinney, and again by Wni. H. Knight, 

 who successively presided over the deliberations of the Academy. 



An important of^cer in a scientific body is the secretary. During the 

 first two years this position was filled by Mrs. Mary E. Hart, but in 1893 

 the society was so fortunate as to secure the services of Mr. B. R. Baum- 

 gardt, who has served in that capacity and been closely identified with the 

 growth and prosperity of the institution from the date named to the present 

 time. 



A mere list of the titles of the scientific lectures and papers which have 

 been read before this Academy, either at the general meetings or at its 

 various sctions, during the past decade of its existence, would occupy more 

 space than we shall use in this entire initial number of our Transactions. 



Yet many of these papers were of high value, both from a scientific 

 and literary point of view. Some of them have been published in local 

 and eastern journals, thus enriching the archives of science, but many 

 others of high merit have been utterly lost to the world. 



To rescue further contributions of value from oblivion, or at least tr 

 make a record and synopsis of the themes discussed, is the object of estab- 

 lishing this monthly resume of the Academy's work. 



The Bulletin will be issued on the first of the month and will 

 contain advance announcements of the various meetings to be held during 

 the current month, and also a brief account of the proceedings of the 

 meetings of the preceding month. Every member can thus be kept fully 

 apprized of the work of the Academy in all its departments, and need not 

 miss any of the meetings or (iiscussion§ in which he may be specie 

 interested. 



