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NOTES, i 711 
and an account of a reception given to him, that steps were taken 
to organize at once a Natural History Society in Sacramento by 
Dr. Logan and others. 
Amone the recent improvements in our colleges for enlarged 
facilities in science-teaching may be mentioned the new laboratory 
erected at Colby University, Waterville, Maine, at an expense of 
$30,000. It is 48 by 56 feet long, and two stories in height. The 
lower story will be devoted to chemistry, the upper to a museum 
of Natural History. Provision has been also made to establish a 
chair of Natural History and Astronomy. 
Ar Bowdoin College also, Hon. P. W. Chandler is to refit Mas- 
sachusetts Hall as a Natural History Museum, in memory of the 
late Professor Cleaveland, at an expense of $8,000 to $10,000, the 
work being partly done. It is hoped that the graduates will take 
a pride in sending rare specimens of animals, plants and fossils 
to fill up existing vacancies. 
We have received the first number of a new monthly bee jour- 
nal, “The North American Bee Journal” published by Moore and 
King, Indianapolis, Indiana. Its appearance indicates the popu- 
larity of bee keeping, and while Wagner’s « American Bee Journal,’ ’ 
published at Washington, is by far the most scientific and ably con- 
ducted that we have seen, there is undoubtedly room for more. By 
the way, when shall we have observations made in this country on 
the development and mode of growth and habits of the honey bee 
Comparable with those of the best German apiarists? Is it not 
time for the appearance of an American Dzierzon and Siebold, or 
Must we wait another century? Cannot science and practice 
among apiarians be united in America as well as in Germany? 
A regular meeting of the California Academy of Sciences was 
held Monday, August 6th. Many valuable specimens of. aborig- 
inal skulls, minerals, petrifactions from near Salt Lake City were 
presented to the Academy. 
Mr. Stearns called the attention of the Academy to the death 
of Major S. S. Lyon of Jeffersonville, Indiana, and referred to 
the ability and distinguished services of the deceased. 
_ Dr. Blake exhibited a specimen of an apricot which wae spotted 
Upon the surface with a blight probably the same which attacks 
the grape, and further remarked that the peaches and nectarines 
