128 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Transactions. 



The regular meeting of the Academy of Sciences was held at the 

 Woman's Club Rooms at 8:00 p. m., Oct. 6th 1902. The meeting was called 

 to order by President Comstock. The Secretary being absent, G. M. Taber 

 was appointed Secretary pro tem. The new Constitution and By-Laws were 

 read section by section, and after several amendments were adopted as 

 amended. A motion was made and carried by a unanimous vote, that the 

 Board of Directors be authorized to incorporate the Academy under the 

 Constitution and By-Laws adopted. The President stated that in order to 

 establish the Sections, it would be necessary for petitions to be presented 

 before the Academy of the names of Fellows, in accordance with the 

 requirements of the new Constitution. After the regular business of the 

 Academy had been concluded, Mr. Wm. H. Knight read a paper on the Life 

 and Work of Hugh Miller, the noted Scotch Geologist, it being near the 

 looth anniversary of his birth. His paper was full of historical interest, 

 interspersed with a statement of his personal life and his distinguished 

 work as one of the world's most prominent scientists. President 

 Comstock in a brief manner called the attention of the audience to the 

 similarity between Major J. W. Powell and Hugh Miller. He also stated 

 that in a long and intimate acquaintances with Major Powell, it had 

 been of material beneiit to himself when he was a young man. Prof. G. 

 Wharton James made a few interesting remarks on the life work of Major 

 Powell. The meeting then adjourned. q. Major Taber, See' y pro tem. 



An outdoor meeting of the Astronomical Section was held on the thir- 

 teenth of October, at the residence of the Chairman, B. R. Baumgardt. 

 About a hundred members were present. The evening was devoted princi- 

 pally to telescopic observations of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. Perrin's 

 recently discovered comet was shown in the constellation Cassiopea and its 

 southwest motion through the heavens towards the sun observed. Excellent 

 views were also had of the nebula in Andromeda, the star cluster in 

 Hercules, the quadruple star Epsilon Lyra and the binary system Beta Cygni. 

 Short addresses were made by some of the members after which the 

 meeting- stood adjourned. Melville Dozier, Secretary. 



Regular monthly meeting of the Botanical Section was held Aug. 25, 

 1902, Mr. Johnston presiding. 



Mr. Greata submitted for inspection a collection of plants belonging 

 to Mr. Geo. B. Grant consisting of Cryptanthes, Plagiobothrys and allied 

 genera. 



Mr. Braunton submitted miscellaneous plants including some in- 

 teresting specimens of Godetia purpurea, both purple and yellow forms. 



Mr. Davidson reported upon the proposed new constitution of the 

 Academy. Adjourned, Louis A. GreaTa, Secretary. 



The Geological Section met at the Woman's Club Rooms, Sept. 22d, 

 1902. at 8:00 p.m. Chairman Geo. W. Parsons called the meeting to order. 



Prof. L.J. Stabler was introduced and gave an interesting lecture 

 on California Mineral Oils and Their Chemical Analysis." He stated in 

 part, that there was no danger of an overproduction of Oil, as the local 

 demand at the Los Angeles Refineries was 50,000 barrels per day, besides 

 what was used for luel. He explained the advantages of California asphalt 

 ever that of Trinidad and Bermuda productions, and stated that the 

 Eastern demand for California asphalt was increasing, owing to its superior 

 qualities. He enumerated the many uses of its chemical products in the 

 arts, and gave 14 different ingredients composing the California oils, where 

 the Pennsylvania oils had but 9. He also stated that the California oils 

 were superior for lubricating purposes for cold climates or ice machinery, 

 but not as valuable lubricants in hot climates. q Major Taber, Sec'y^ 



