20 The Chicago Academy of Sciences. 



to pay one-half of the expenses and to receive one-half 

 of the results. 



During- the same year a complete set of the game 

 birds of Illinois was prepared and sent as an Academy 

 exhibit to the World's Fair, to be held in Paris. This 

 collection was greatly admired by visitors to the fair, 

 and was finally exchanged for a fine collection of 

 mounted European birds. 



The plans for the new building to be erected by 

 the Academy on the rear of its Wabash avenue prop- 

 erty 'were prepared early in this year, but they were 

 not fully developed and accepted until late in the 

 spring, and work on the building was not commenced 

 until in June. The details incident to the erection of 

 the building were under the supervision of a committee 

 of the board of trustees, consisting of Daniel Thomp- 

 son, Eliphalet W. Blatchford and George C. Walker. 

 These gentlemen gave much time and attention to this 

 work, and carefully watched the construction at every 

 step. The architect was W. W. Boyington. 



The building, which was fifty feet wide by fifty- 

 five feet in depth, and about fifty feet in height, was 

 reached from Wabash avenue by a court eighteen feet 

 in width. The building was finished throughout and 

 contained a basement, a ground story, and above this 

 a museum hall, containing two galleries. There is an 

 interesting note in the records of the Academy to the 

 effect that the building u Was fireproof throughout, 

 and that no expense was spared to guard against an- 

 other loss by fire." 



The museum hall was filled with well constructed 

 exhibition cases of several suitable designs, which 

 were "Moth and dust proof." The first floor was 

 arranged for the secretary, office, library and meeting 

 hall. The exterior of the building was plain but sub- 

 stantial, no attempt being made at ornate display. 



The building was completed in January, 1868, and 

 the first meeting of the society held in the new hall 



