The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-05-13

than those which pour forth their
melodies in eastern fields and forest.
we shall ask the entomologist why
some California spiders are hairy, gi-
gantic and burrowers; why the glow
worm suddenly flashes his tiny CLEAN
along new made mountain trails; why
one parasite fiourishes on the citrus near
the coast and the habitat Of another is
further inland. We shall ask the ich-
thyologist why a greater variety and
number of food and all other kinds of
fishes swarm off the coast of Los An
geles county than can be found in any
similar area elsewhere on the globe. We
snail ask the archaeOlogist whence came
the partially civilized race which built
the aqueducts and buried cities of Ari-
iona and New Mexico; and we shall in
terrogate the ethnologist regarding the
origin of those aboriginal tribes which
roamed over these flower decked valleys
before the Spanish padres planted their
missions In this land of sunshine.
These and a thousand other questions
which Will be suggested to the inqufring
mind will constitute problems regarding
our environment pressing for solution
The ardent naturalist, the intrepid ex-
plorer and the patient investigator will
set themselves the task of penetrating
, the arcana Of nature and bringing her
hidden secrets to light; and it will be the
province of our astute scientists to sift
the abundant materials, make broad and
safe congratulations, and transform
crude hypothesis into established theo-
ries.
No nobler field exists for the prosecu-
ton Of the scientific inquiry than that Of
which Los Angeles is the metropolis The
variety and extent Of our mineral depos-
its, the wealth and compass Of our flora,
the unique and varied manifestations
of life in every department of the ami
NAL kingdom; the Typographical con-
formation of this interesting region,
producing it's novel atmospheric currents
and it's paradoxical climatic effects; it's
ever blooming Wales, it's rugged and
scanned mountains and it's wastes of
arid desert in all their startling
combinations, furnish inexhaustible
themes for the student of nature, and
challenge the profound investigation of
the physicist.
This comparatively new, extensive and
prolific field for scientific work has not
been entirely neglected. For several
years the members of this society, hith-
erto little handful only. have been dill
iyently exploring it, and with results
well worth noting in this paper. DR.. A.
Davidson's original researches on GER
tain forms of insect life, on the origin OF
California fruits, and on the flora of
Los Angeles county, were contributions
highly valued at home and abroad. Mr..
, Arthur +. Davis, now of Washington,
described the Typographical methods of
the geological survey. Judge Minor
gave all iIStI lcCtuIc vi pclIOlC0l
! and theories of it's origin.
| Prof. Coquillett contributed learned
| papers on the painted lady butterfly and
on other chronological themes. Mr.. b.
| w. Griffith exhibited under the micro
| scope specimens of insects injurious to
| our fruit trees. Mr.. c. N. Wilson lucidly
| described the habits of the California bee
| in contrast with those which gather
| stores in other chimes. DR.. L. c. Yates
has studied the geological formations
| and peculiar ocean currents of the Santa
Barbara channel islands. Miss Alice j.
| Merritt interestingly discussed certain
| peculiarities of our California wild flow
ers. Prof. A. j. McClatchie added to
| our knowledge of useful and injurious
| fungi, and on another occasion explained
how we may secure immunity from dis
eases of bacterial origin. DIR. II. A. Reid
gave q painstaking sketch of the geo
logical structure of the Sierra Madre
mountains. Hon. Abbot Kinney fur
nished an exhaustive treatise on the nu-
merous varieties of the eucalyptus fam
jly His Voluminous work on that sub
ject will be forwarded to other scientific
! bodies as part of the published proceed
ings of our society. Mr.. j. 4. Lippincott
| gave a dissertation on the hydrography
of Southern California. Major j. w.
( Powell graphically portrayed the unique
geological Formations of the Grand can
| Won. Mr.. Warren Wilson described
| some of the remarkable iron deposits of
| the southwest Prof. w. l.. watts ore"
| important congratulations from his ge-
| illogical researches among our oil pear
! ing strata. Mr.. Joseph Crnnell charmed
,.s with his observations of the sonSsters
he found in valley, glen and canyon Mrs.
Burton Williamson exhibited the strange
and beautiful shells she had gathered
from our Seashorc Prof ChafieS ,.
Holders valuable paper narrated ms
observations of numerous tinny tribes
off Santa Catalina island. Mr.. George
r.. Franklins paper detailed the methods
CT the weather bureau with Suggestions
for better service on TINS coast
Others have instructed us on more
general TOPICS. Mr.. w. A. Spauld1ng
| Ingenious theory of the prevalence Oh
spiral forms and motions in nature was
| afterwards supplemented by a new ex-
PLANTATION of the movements or STORMS.
| DIR. C. w. Bush wandered in ceiestlal
| fields among star clusters and nebulae.
DR.. Lewis Swift also discoursed elo-
uuently on the motion, distances ana
| magnitudeS OF the heavenly bodies. Dr.
H. H. Maynard described the bacterial
forms which produce disease and also
| those which conserve health. Mr.. Il. *.
| Baumgardt gave lucid summary of the
latest theories of the tidal evolution of
worlds. Mr. S. G. Marshutz furnished
| a translation Of Roentgen's announce
| ment of his X ray discovery with bril-
| liant illustratinos of the cathode rays
| by Mr. Lundberg. Prof. Leo Dart spoke
| learnedly on decade of progress in APP
| piled electricity with illustrative exper-
| iments. DR.. A. T.. Prayer, Mr.. b. r.
! Baumgardt, Prof. J.. HI. Gilmore and
| Prof. w. Fl. Gaylord gave symposium
| on the spectroScope, also richly illus
| trated.
| These contributions cover a wide
| range of topics. Many of them possess
| ed exceptional merit both from a scien-
| tifir a NJ Ii "a sta n6nOint Some
! of such popular interest that the daily
| papers reproduced them entire, includ-
| ing illustrations, and extracts and syn
| opses We're published in remote jour-
| nails.
| 1t is manifest that the imperative need
| of the immediate future Is building
| where we can gather reference libra
| ry and make available the published
| proceedings of other scientific bodies;
| where we can arrange cabinets of miner
! ais, display geological specimens, store
| archaeological contributions and manip-
| ulate chemical and electrical apparatus.
This museum, properly classified and
| displayed, and under able dictatorship,
| besides having a scientific and educa-
| tional value, would become an object of
| popular interest to which our own peo-
| pie could point with pride and which
| travellers, tourists and savants would not
| fail to visit.
II our academy. possessed a suitable
building we would soon be able to gath
| er library of several thousand volumes
az little cost, and as we are about to pub