The West American Scientist. 



Vol. II. San Diego, Calif., February, 1886. No. 13. 



PROFESSOR GEORGE DAYIDSON. 



[From the "Pacific Rural Press."] 



Probably no name is better known in the scientific world of the Pacific Coast 

 than that of Professor George Davidson, of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, 

 who was recently re-elected for the fifteenth time president of the California Acad- 

 emy of Sciences. His active and untiring efforts, extending over a long period of 

 time in advancing the interests of science on this coast, are well known; and the 

 work he he has accomplished in the service in which he holds high rank has earned 

 for him a name and reputation m hich might be envied by any man. A brief sketch 

 of his life and services will be of interest to very niany. 



George Davidson is ao the head of the Field Assistants of the U. S. Coast and 

 Geodetic Survey. He was 60 years of age in May last, and has been on the ^Survey 

 over 40 years on consecutive duty, serving from Newfoundland to Texas and from 

 Panama to Alaska. 



He came to the Pacific Coast early in 185.0, when it was a new and ditticult 

 field, having been chosen for this special duty by Superintendent Bache. He served 

 five consecutive years, winter and summer, on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts before 

 that, and afterward during the rebellion, and has been again upon the Pacific Coast 



since 1867. 



Professor Davidson has made himself thoroughly familiar with the currents on 

 the Pacific Coast and discovered the exi..tenc3 of inshore eddy currents which afiects 

 all bars and influences all improvements for harbors of refuge. He has given great 

 attention to all hydraulic problems, to the water supply of large cities of Europe 

 ani America, and the drainage of great districts (Egypt, Italy, Holland etc.). 

 Most of these studies were directly connected with the work of the Coast and Geo- 

 detic Survey. ■ . * i f e ,; 



Beycnd these he has been an active member of the Californii Academy ot ha- 

 ences and president since 1871, aad has pubfished original investigations in geometry, 

 in the devising of new instruments of precision, in the physical appearance of bat- 

 urn Jupiter and Mars ; on the constitution or the tails of comets, the plateau of the 

 Pacific off the California, etc. He has produced papers upon methods of deternun. 

 ino- the solar parallax, the introducdon of science ia our public .choo.s, the endo^v. 



