20 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
which clustered much of historic interest connected with the early history 
and development of that seafaring and hardy people. 
In Sweden the astronomical observatories were objects of special 
interest. The observatory at Stockholm is equipped with somewhat 
antiquated instruments and suffers much inconveniences because of the 
brilliancy of the city’s illumination at night. The observatory will 
probably be removed to a more sutiable location. 
In Stockholm 1s maintained at public expense an extensive outdoor 
museum where are exhibited and exemplified the manners and customs 
of the ancient Scandinavians; keeping the people in visual touch with 
the history and weapons of their country. 
At the University of St. Petersburg is an exhibition the great mam- 
moth, found encased in ice, in perfect preservation. The long and 
abundant coating of hair proves that it was intended for actie habita- 
tion. 
The faculty of this institution comprises men of great fame as mathe- 
maticians and scientific inventors. 
The Astronomical observatory at Pulkov, Russia, is the best equipped 
in Europe, special attention being given to the determination of the 
parallax of the stars. Here was found a copy of the Bulletin of the 
Southern California Academy of Sciences. At Vienna the chief interest 
clusters about the lives an] tombs of the great Musicians, such as Beeth- 
oven and Mozart. 
In London, the Greenwich observatory was found to be well equipped, 
especially with men, there being more than sixty on the observatory staff. 
But the atmosphere is poorly adapted to astronomical work. The 
most delightful hours of the speaker’s travels were spent in visiting the 
Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical Society, especially as he came 
into close touch with the life-work of the great Sir Isaac Newton. In 
Florentian history the most interesting figure is Galileo, where his villa, 
his tower, his telescope, his tomb, and his fame are sacredly guarded 
and reverenced. 
Here, too, Bruno suffered death at the stake in 1600 for claiming 
a plurality of worlds. 
After the Lecture the speaker responded to many questions from in- 
terested auditors, and the meeting adjourned. 
MELVILLE DOZIER, Secretary. 
February 4th, 1907. 
At the regular meeting of the Directors this evening there were 
present Messrs. Baumgardt, Collins, Davidson, Keese and Dozier. 
The ordinary pills were allowed and routine business transacted, 
whereupon the meeting adjourned to participate in the exercises before 
the Academy. 
President Baumgardt appropriately introduced the speaker of the 
evening Prof. Rev. Ritchey of the Mount Wilson Observatory, whose 
mechanical skill and scientific knowledge are contributing so largely to 
the successful development of the great enterprise undertaken in our 
immediate vicinity. After giving an account of the difficulties that beset 
the construction of this most important observatory, especially that of 
conveying material to the top of the mountain, Prof. Ritchey explained 
and illustrated the method of preparing the oreat lenses for practical 
use after they have been east, calling special attention to the vast possi- 
bilities that await the completion of the one-hundred-inch lens provided 
for by the magnificent gift of our Vice-President, Mr. John D. Hooker. 
The speaker then proceeded to speak of the comparative value of photo- 
graphie and visual methods of observation in astronomy, the former 
