612 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



ences in Philadelphia, and has included, from time to time, a 

 great many very important conchological monographs, chief- 

 ly presented to the Philadelphia Academy, many of them 

 accompanied by colored plates. Hereafter, such communica- 

 tions will be published in the Journal or in the Proceedings 

 of the Academy itself. 



RENEWED ACTIVITY OF THE ST. LOUIS ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



The St. Louis Academv of Sciences, after its forced inactiv- 

 ity for some years past, has again entered upon its career of 

 usefulness. The paralysis of scientific effort in the South- 

 west caused by the late war, and a destructive fire which in 

 1869 consumed the entire museum and a great part of the 

 library of the society, crippled its resources to such an extent 

 that it has published no transactions for several years. The 

 meetings, however, have been maintained, and much inter- 

 esting matter has been presented before them from time to 

 time. During the present year a great improvement has taken 

 place in its condition, and the active membership has rapidly 

 increased until it numbers one hundred, while the nucleus of 

 a new museum has been formed, and a very respectable li- 

 brary has again been brought together. It is now proposed 

 to proceed at once with the publication of transactions, to 

 embrace the most important memoirs that have accumulated 

 in its archives. Quite recently, in connection -with the His- 

 torical Society of St. Louis, it has received the donation of a 

 valuable lot of ground from'Hon. James H. Lucas, upon which 

 it is proposed to construct a suitable building. 



THEFT AND RECOVERY OF THE OBJECT-GLASS OF THE 

 ALLEGHANY OBSERVATORY. 



As long ago as the 8th of July, 1872, the glass of the great 

 telescope of the Alleghany Observatory, one of the largest 

 of the kind in the country, and valued at about $4000, was 

 stolen from the building, and all efforts to detect the rob- 

 ber and regain the plundered article were unavailing. We 

 now learn from the College Courant that the lens has been re- 

 covered under the -following circumstances : Not long since 

 information was communicated to the parties interested that 

 a gentleman, some months before, had overheard two men in 

 a saloon in Cleveland talking of the proposed theft of an ob- 



