Ammonites occur in the gold-bearing slates of Bear Valley, Mariposa County, in addition to belemnites and other fossils already noted. The specimen I have seen is a cast, somewhat distorted by pressure, but apparently similar to the species from the slates on the American River, which I brought to the notice of the academy last year. ADJOURNED ANNUAL MEETING, JANUARY 8TH, 1866. President in the chair. Twelve members present. The Curator of Conchology and the Librarian made verbal reports. The academy then proceeded to the election of officers for the year, and the following persons were chosen. PRESIDENT. LEANDER RANSOM. VICE PRESIDENTS. R. E. C. STEARNS. W. O. AYRES, M.D. TREASURER. SAMUEL HUBBARD. RECORDING SEC’Y. T. H. BLOOMER. CORRESPONDING SEC’Y. HENRY N. BOLANDER. LIBRARIAN. J. D. WHITNEY. CURATORS. H. S. HANKS MINERALOGY. E. F. LORQUIN ZOOLOGY. H. N. BOLANDER BOTANY. R. E. C. STEARNS CONCHOLOGY. W. M. GABB PALÆONTOLOGY. H. BEHR, M.D. ENTOMOLOGY. COMMITTEE ON FINANCE. MESSRS. HUBBARD, STEARNS, AND FISK. COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION. MESSRS. WHITNEY, MINNS, AND STEARNS. Donations to the Library: American Journal of Science, September, 1865, from the editors. Annals of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, Vol. VIII, Nos. 2-5. Journal de Conchyliogie, (3) V, 1, 2. Sea-Side Studies in Natural History, from Alex. Agassiz. Proceedings of the Boston Society of Natural History, 1864, Sheet 1. Astronomical and Meteorological Observations made at the U. S. Naval Observatory during the year 1863. Check List of the Fossils of California and Nevada, by W. M. Gabb. The following biographical sketch of Thomas Bridges was read by Mr. Dall. Memorial Sketch of Thomas Bridges, Esq., F.L.S., F.Z.S., and Member of the Cala. Acad. Sci. BY W. H. DALL, ACTING DIRECTOR SCI. CORPS, W. U. T. EX. Mr. Bridges was born at Lilly in Hertfordshire, England, on the twenty-second of May, 1807. At an early age he became interested in Natural History, and when about nineteen or twenty—having previously studied for some three years under Sir William Hooker, at Kew Gardens—he sailed for Valparaiso. He remained here or passed the time in some of the adjoining provinces, from 1827 to 1844, when he returned to England on a short visit. On again reaching South America, he undertook the explorations in Bolivia, so well known to naturalists, through their magnificent results. During the course of this journey, in June, 1845, he discovered and obtained seeds of the great South American Water Lily, the _Victoria Regia_, Lindley. Although the plant had previously been detected, to Mr. Bridges belonged the honor of first introducing it into the old world, by transporting seeds which subsequently germinated at Kew.