no SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Transactions for October, 1905. 



ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Los Angeles, California, October 5, 3 903. 



The Southern California Acadeniy of Sciences met in regular 

 monthly session this evening at 8 o 'clock, at 940 South Figueroa street. 



President Comstoek occupied the chair. ^STo reg-ular business was 

 transacted. 



The evening was devoted entirely to a lecture by Professor Larkin, 

 of the Lowe Observatory, who selected the subject of "Eadium" for 

 consideration. In an interesting manner all the data available upon this 

 subject were presented and discussed in detail. The lecture was illus- 

 trated with physical apparatus, loaned for the occasion by the Los An- 

 geles High School. 



Adjourned. A large attendance was present. 



B. E. BAPMGAEDT. Secretary. 



ASTRONOMICAL SECTION. 



October 19, 1903. 



The Astronomical Section convened at 8 p. m.. Chairman Knight pre- 

 siding. 



The subject for consideration was the sun, with special reference to 

 the sunspots now attracting unusual attention. Mr. Knight introduced 

 the subject by reading from current literature several extracts relative 

 to this phenomenon; and also a description of the great dark tube or 

 shed, one hundred feet in length, recently constructed and dedicated for 

 use at the Terkes Observatory, in connection with the work of deter- 

 mining the phenomena of sunlight as reflected through this horizontal 

 tube by a mirror, and made to pass through a series of lenses. 



Dr. John Woodbridge, the lecturer of the evening, was then intro- 

 duced and read a graphic and instructive paper on the subject, ' ' The 

 Sun as the Furnace and Light House of the Earth," treating the sub- 

 ject under the subdivisions of the sun's distance, dimensions, attractive 

 power, visible features, motions, heat, light, envelopes and eclipses. 



A discussion of the subject, emphasizing the spots uow prominent, 

 was participated .in by Messrs. Knight, Baunigardt, Taber and Hill. 



The meeting then adjourned. 



MFLYTF.LL DOZIEE, Secretary. 



BIOLOGICAL SECTION. 



Los Angeles, Cal., October 26th, 1903. 



The Geological Section of the Academy of Sciences held tlieir reg- 

 ular meeting at the Woman's Club rooms, at 8 p. m. 



Chairman Geo. W. Parsons called the meeting to order. Minutes 

 of previous meeting read and approved. The Chairman introduced Mr. 

 C. J. Callahan, M. E., as the speaker of the evening. His subject was 

 the "Origin of Petroleum," and to illustrate the different changes in 

 the formation of oil, he exhibited several specimens, giving the different 

 degrees of heat at the different depths below the surface, and also the 

 oil sand in which the oil had settled after formation. 



He gave an interesting description of the oil fields of the East as 

 well as those of California, and stated that there was no danger of 



