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geologist, A. H. Worthen, and for its first secretary, the present 

 writer, then in charg^e of the museum of the old society in the 

 State Normal building. 



The first society was chartered by the state legislature in 

 1861 ; held its tenth and last annual meeting in 1868; published, 

 in 1861, Volume I., series i, of its Transactions (in Volume 

 IV. of the Transactions of the State Agricultural Society, and 

 again, in a second edition, in 1862, as a separate pamphlet, a 

 rare copy of which I hold in my hand) ; formed a museum of 

 natural history which was housed in the building of the State 

 Normal School, at Normal; and held two final business meetings 

 in Bloomington, May 26 and June 22, 1871, for the transfer 

 of its museum to the State in accordance with a provision of law 

 passed by the general assembly of that year. This museum, 

 held by the State Board of Education "for the use and benefit 

 of the State," was gradually transformed, in due time, into the 

 present State Laboratory of Natural History. A part of its 

 original material is now in the possession of that institution at 

 Urbana, a part of it belongs to the State Nomial School at 

 Normal, and the remainder is in the State Museum of Natural 

 History, founded here in 1879, and now in charge of Professor 

 Crook as its curator. 



The officers of the society mainly responsibl'e for its estab- 

 lishment and growth were its corresponding secretary, later 

 called its general commissioner, and the curator of its mu- 

 seum. 1 he former was its field agent and general manager, and 

 the latter was the custodian of its collections. Its first corre- 

 sponding secretary was C. D. Wilbur, who served in that capacity 

 until 1864. Its curator was for several years Dr. J. A. Sewall, 

 instructor m chemistry in the State Normal School, at Nor- 

 mal, and afterwards president of the Colorado State University. 

 Its second general commissioner, and afterwards the second 



