200 The V{/est American Scientist. 



States, not excepting our National Museum. Other work may 

 for a few months require our issuing less complete numbers than 

 the present issue of The Scientist. While we may issue fewer 

 pages for a time, we hope to raise our standard of excellence still 

 higher, and to complete arrangements for giving our patrons still 

 more than we have attempted. 



THE SAN DIEGO SOCIETY OF NA TURAL HIS TOR Y 



September 2d the Society held its regular monthly meeting at 

 its rooms on 6th street. D. Cleveland presiding. The action of 

 the Board of Directors, thanking Henry Hemphill for the donation 

 of a valuable collection of over 1000 species of shells, and advising 

 his election to a life membership in the Society was reported, and 

 Mr. Hemphill unanmiously elected a life member by the Society. 

 Several gentlemen were elected to active membership. 



The plans of the proposed new building were informally dis- 

 cussed. D. Cleveland reported for his committee that an architect 

 had been instructed to draw up plans for a three-story brick build- 

 ing with basement, 50 x 96 feet, with a handsome front. The 

 lower floor is to be a public hall, while the upper floors are to be 

 devoted to the museum and library, with galleries, and lighted 

 with a large skylight. 



The Society is in a transcient state, but greater activity may be 

 looked for in the future. The Society is wealthy, and great op- 

 portunities for work are being developed. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



Dr. Asa Gray and wife are expected to return from England to 

 their home in Cambridge, early in October. 



A 'University of Lower California' is to be established at En- 

 cenada de Todos Santos, Lower California. Over 400 acres of 

 land, valued at $500,000, is secured to the institution. 



Miss Rosa Smith, the celebrated lady icthyologist of San Diego, 

 and corresponding secretary of our society of natural history, was 

 married August 20th, to Carl H. Eigenmann, of Bloom ington, 

 Ind. Prof Eigenmann has also made a special study of fishes. 

 They take their bridal trip over the Canadian Pacific R. R. to 

 Cambridge, Mass., where they will devote a year to their favorite 

 studies. 



From the present statue of the metric system, as given by a 

 Parisian archivist, the following is deduced : Number of popula- 

 tion of countries in which the system is obligatory, 241,073.011 ; 

 number of population of countries in which the system is optional 

 by law, 97,639,825 ; number of population of countries in which 

 the system is used without legal value, 333,266,386. 



