64 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Transactions for March, 1 904. 



ASTRONOMICAL SECTION. 



The meeting was presided over by ChairmarL W. H. Knight, who 

 introduced the exercises of the evening by a statement of current astro- 

 nomical phenomena, giving an account of the observations made at the 

 Lick Observatory on '.the motio'ns and peculiarities of Borelli's comet, 

 laying special emphasis upon the remarkable characteristics of the sev- 

 eral tails of the comet. Mr. Knight also read an account of the appear- 

 ance and movement of three remarkable meteors observed on the Pacific 

 by the commander of the United States Steamship Supply. The varia- 

 tions in the apparent miotion of these meteors cannot be accounted for 

 by any known theories of meteoric mo'tion. 



The chaii-man read an extract comparing all the time that is supposed 

 to have elapsed since the earth iDecame a solid to a day of twenty-four 

 hours, showing by comparative subdivisions of the two periods, that the 

 six thousand years of the recorded history of man is represented by 

 the last five seconds of the day that stands for the aeons of the earth's 

 existence. 



Mathematics being the major topic of the evening, the chairman read 

 so'me interesting extracts from famous mathematicians relative to the 

 beauty and practical value of mathematical principles. 



Mr. B. E. Bau'mgardt was then introduced and presented the subject 

 of logarithms, explaining the principles tipon w-hich the system is based 

 and the? stupendous saving of time and labor due to the use of 

 logarithms in all calculations involving large numbers and numerous or 

 long multiplications and divisioxLS. 



Mr. Baumgardt then exemplified the principle of the conchoid curve, 

 which gave rise to a discussion of the cycloid curve and its application to 

 a theoretically accurate pendulum. 



The meeting was concluded with the reading by Mr. Baumgardt of a 

 graphic account of the partial solar eclipse of May, 1£'00, as witnessed 

 from Mount Lowe by the members and friends of the Astronomical 

 Section. 



MELA^LLE DOZIEE, Secretary. 



March 21, 19'04. 



GEOLOGICAL SECTION. 



Los Angeles, Cal., March 28, 1904. 

 The officers of the Geological Section met at the Woman' Club 

 Booms, but owing to the inclemency of the weather the attendance was 

 small and the meeting adjourned to April 2.5th, when the Eev. H. B. Gage, 

 of Long Beach, will deliver a lecture on the "Minerals of Eiverside 

 County," and the secretary will exhibit specimens of the crystallization 

 of iron and copper. 



G. MAJOE TABEE, Secretary. 



