0. MISCELLANEOUS. 651 



BUILDING OF THE NEW YOKK MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



Contracts have finally been made for the erection of the 

 building of the New York Museum of Natural History in Man- 

 hattan Square, the foundation for a portion of which has been 

 dug for some time. Bids were originally opened in March 

 last, but under the new charter, and in the organization of 

 the Park Department, various questions arose which prevent- 

 ed further progress in the work. It is now stated that the 

 mason-work for the first section has been let for $127,900, the 

 granite for $123,000, and the iron for $168,000, being an ag- 

 gregate of $41 8,900. 



APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE NEW YORK STATE CABINET OF 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



Among the appropriations made by the State of New York 

 for the State Cabinet of Natural History, we find the follow- 

 ing enumerations : Hall of Natural History, cleaning, repairs, 

 etc., $3000 ; for the increase of the zoological collection, 

 $1000 ; assisting in arranging duplicate fossils and minerals 

 for distribution, $1500; salary of botanist, $1500; for the use 

 of the Cabinet of Natural History, $10,000 making an ag- 

 gregate of $17,000. The Board of Regents of the Univer- 

 sity receive $6500. 



REPORT OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES FOR 1872. 



In compliance with the act of incorporation, the report of 

 the National Academy of Sciences for the year 1872 was pre- 

 sented by Professor Henry, the president, to Congress, and 

 lately printed. It is occupied principally by a statement of 

 the original law organizing the Academy, and the steps taken 

 under the recent act of Con2:ress as to the number of mem- 

 bers, and includes also the amended constitution of 1872, and 

 the list of papers presented at the Washington meetings of 

 April, 1871, and April, 1872, and of those at the meeting of 

 November 21 at Cambridge. Senate 3Iisc., Forty -second 

 Congress^ No. 10. 



NOURSE's HISTORY OF THE U. S. NAVAL OBSERVATORY. 



The volume of the observations at the Naval Observatory 

 in 1871, about to be published, will contain, as its fourth ap- 



E E 2 



