112 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



may be visible to the naked eye near the star Altair. It will be five 

 degrees north of Beta Pegasi on November 1, its course being westward. 



Sir David Gill of the Royal Observatory at Cape Town has deter- 

 mined the parallax of the star Antares as 0.021 sec, making its distance 

 in round numbers one quadrillion miles. From photometric considera- 

 tions J. E. G-ore computes the mass to be 88,000 times thac of our sun. 

 "If/' says Prof. Edgar Larkin, "its density is equal to that of our sun, 

 the diameter of that stupendous world would be 37,000,000 miles, or 

 about equal to the radius of the planet Mercury." 



There is confirmaton of the existence of a ninth satellite revolving 

 around the mighty system of Saturn, far out in space beyond all the 

 satellites of that body hitherto known. It was discovered by the photo- 

 graphic method, by Professor Wm. H. Pickering, with the Bruce 24-inch 

 telescope at Arequipa, Peru. This new moon has been given the name of 

 Phoebe by its discoverer. 



ANNOtnsrCEMEjSTTS FOE OCTOBER-NOVEMBER, 1904. 



Many members of the Academy were enabled to enjoy the illustrated 

 lecture of Mr. Alden Sampson at the Woman's Club House, on Friday 

 evening, September 30, through the courtesy of the Friday Morning Club 

 and the local section of the Sierra Club, by whom the invitations were 

 given. 



We have also to express thanks to the Ebell Club for their esteemed 

 invitation to the Academy to join with them in welcoming Sir John 

 Murray, who was expected at their meeting on Monday afternoon, Octo- 

 ber 11. We share their regret at the contretemps which delayed their dis- 

 tinguished guest, depriving all of delectable and profitable entertainment. 

 But later, upon the arrival of Sir John in the city, it became possible to 

 arrange a joint meeting of the Ebell and the Academy at the State 

 Xormal School, when the lecturer aroused much enthusiasm by his very 

 interesting and important address upon the subject of " Oceanology. " 



The Section of Biology met Monday evening, October 10, at the 

 Xormal School, the program being varied and of the nature of general 

 discussion upon current topics. These occasions are always profitable to 

 members and others who attend. 



The Section of Botany met October 18, 8 p. m., at Eoom 501, Laugh- 

 lin Building. Dr. Anstruther Davidson spoke on ' ' The Botany of Ari- 

 zona, " to which he has given particular attention in the field. We are 

 able to give an abstract of his paper in this issue of the Bulletin. 



The regular session of the Section of Geology will take place at the 

 Xormal School, Monday evening, October 24, when Mr. J. B. Lippincott, 

 supervising engineer of the Eeelamation Service of the U". S. Geological 

 Survey, for this district, will outline the work of his division. Xothing 

 can now occur of more general interest or importance to the welfare of 

 this community, and we bespeak for him a large attendance of members 

 and their friends. 



The Academy will have a lecture on the evening of Xovember 7, by 

 Dr. Theo. B. Comstock, on the subject: "Wild Xature in the Eocky 

 Mountains, Around and About Yellowstone Park," illustrated by lantern 

 slides, mostly colored. Dr. Comstock was the geologist of Capt. Wm. A. 

 Jones' Expedition in 1873, which discovered four passes not previously 

 recorded on any map, among them two which had been pronounced myth- 

 ical theretofore. The lecturer has collected a large number of views of 

 remarkable and very little known scenery and natural groups of wild 

 animals, many of which cannot be duplicated. 



