28.)  SOORHIGR NG GALLE OFINLAVA GAD ENN AO Fe, SCM N (GHGS) 
stereopticon views of striking interest and surpassing beauty, gathered 
during his travels in Hurope in 1906, the speaker held the rapt attention 
of the large and appreciative audience for more than an hour, while he 
presented the physical, geographical, social, political and scientific phases 
of Russia’s history and present condition. A brief time spent in social 
intercourse with light refreshments brought the evening and the Aca- 
demy’s most successful year to a delightful close. 
No public meetings of the Academy are held in the months of July, 
August and September. 
On August 29th, at a called meeting of the. Board of Directors, the 
Secretary was authorized and instructed to prepare a circular letter to 
the members of the Academy, setting forth the unselfish purposes of the 
Academy, its desire to reach the ear of the people for instruction in 
matters scientific and historical, and its dependence upon the small 
annual dues of its members to meet the cnrrent expenses, and an appeal 
to the membership to put forth an extra effort to materially increase 
our numbers during the coming vear. It was also resolved that here- 
after only two Bulletins should be issued each year—one in January, 
and one in July, and that earnest efforts should be put forth to make 
these publications in every way worthy of the Academy. 
At the first regular meeting of the current year, held October 7, 1907, 
the Board of Directors elected twelve persons to membership in the 
Academy, indicating the good fruit that was being borne by the cir- 
cular letter that had been distributed among the members. 
The Directors also decided that each section of the Academy should 
be represented in the Bulletin in a leading article on some topic within 
the scope of its particular work, and that colored plates illustrating the 
birds and butterflies of California should be authorized. 
At the assembling of the Academy Vice-President Knight presided, 
and introduced the program of the evening by a brief review of the 
recent occurrences of importance in scientific circles; calling attention 
to Sir Wm. Ramsey’s success in transmuting copper into lithium; to 
Prof. Le Due’s attempts to produce vegetable life; to the renewed interest 
in Botany, incident to the celebration of the bi-centinnial anniversary of 
the birth of Linneus, the recognized father of systematic Botany; to the 
unusual interest centered in the study of the planet Marg at this time, 
during its ‘‘favorable opposition,’’?’ and to the recent appearance of 
Daniel’s comet. 
The regular program of the evening was then taken up by Dr. C. A. 
Whiting, Chairman of the Biological Section, who spoke of the nerve 
centers and nerve action of the human body. Dr. Whiting gave an in- 
teresting and lucid explanation of the nerve system, both in its structure 
and its functional activity; illustrating his thoughts by blackboard 
diagrams. He was followed by Prof. George Leslie, head of the science 
department of the public schools of Los Angeles, who spoke specifically 
