14 



NATUEAL SCIENCE NEWS. 



stances occurring with the under- 

 sized ones and which were anxious 

 to climb the tree, as was proved. 



These caterpillars were observ- 

 ed during rainstorms, and those 

 which appeared to have this adher- 

 ence to a particular course, were 

 seen to maintain the routes even 

 when it led them through little 

 pools of water which entirely cov- 

 ered them for the time. Buffeted 

 by heavy rain drpps, they went on 

 wallowing through water over tus- 

 socks of grass, in a straight course, 

 to where? With what object? 

 Who knows? Following a course, 

 which in nine cases in ten led to 

 death. What was the impulse? 

 Why did not instinct, reason or a 

 sense of direction guide this cater- 

 pillar to the proper tree? — Kala- 

 mazoo, Mich. 



The Chicago Academy of Sci- 

 ences. 



By Frank C. Baker, Secretary. 



In 1857, a society for the promo- 

 tion of science, was formed in Chi- 

 cago, taking the name of "The 

 Chicago Academy of Natural Sci- 

 ences." About $1,500 was sub- 

 scribed, a room taken in the Saloon 

 Building, corner of Clark and Lake 

 Streets, a few cases were made, 

 and a museum was begun. In 

 1859, the society was incorporated 

 by the name of "The Chicago 

 Academy of Sciences." 



In the winter of 1863-4, several 

 prominent citizens of Chicago re- 

 solved to found a Scientific Muse- 

 um in the Metropolis of the North- 

 west. A large sum of money was 

 accordingly subscribed, an Act of 

 Incorporation, (1865) as now pub- 

 lished, was obtained and the Acad- 

 emy was placed upon a solid foun- 

 dation, Mr. Robert Kennicott 

 was appointed first Director of the 

 Museum. Collections rapidly 

 rolled in and rooms were taken at 

 the Metropolitan Building, corner 

 of Randolph and La Salle Streets. 

 In 1865 Mr. Kennicott, with a par- 

 ty of young naturalists went to 

 Alaska to survey a route for a tele- 

 graph line, then proposed to con- 

 nect North America with Russia. 

 From this expedition Mr. Kenni- 

 cott never returned. He died sud- 

 denly of heart failure, on the banks 

 of the Yukon River. After the 

 death of Mr. Kennicott, Dr. Wil- 

 liam Stimpson was appointed Di- 

 rector of the Museum. 



June 7, 1866, the building in 

 which the Museum was placed was 

 partially destroyed by fire. The 



collections were much damaged, 

 and parts were wholly destroyed. 

 This calamity brought the question 

 of a permanent building to head, 

 and a lot on Wabash Avenue, north 

 of Van Buren Street was purchased 

 and a fire-proof building erected. 

 The first meeting was held January 

 28, 1868. The building was of 

 brick 55 ft. by 50 ft. in area, and 50 

 ft. high, the floors were of brick 

 and iron, the stairways and 

 principal doors of iron, and the 

 windows were covered with iron 

 shutters. The basement was used 

 for laboratory and storeroom; the 

 first floor for library and offices, 

 while the whole upper part, sur- 

 rounded by two wide galleries, was 

 occupied by Museum. From this 

 time until the great fire, the growth 

 of the Academy, under the skillful 

 management of Dr. Stimpson was 

 rapid, and much valuable original 

 (work was done. 



On the gth of October, 1871, this 

 building, in spite of the fireproof 

 qualities which it was supposed to 

 possess, was totally destroyed in the 

 great conflagration which laid Chi- 

 cago in ashes, — specimens, library, 

 manuscripts, and apparatus — all 

 that was left of the once invaluable 

 collections, was a sheet of printed 

 paper and a few pieces of broken 

 pottery. Within twelve days after 

 the fire, however, a meeting was 

 held and steps taken towards a res- 

 toration of the Academy. A circular 

 was issued inviting the sympathy 

 and help of corresponding socie- 

 ties, which elicited many immediate 

 and liberal responses. The loss 

 of his priceless manuscripts so 

 prostrated Dr. Stimpson that he 

 died on the 26th of May, 1872. 



It was soon determined to rebuild 

 upon the old site, and upon the 

 same plan, modified by such im- 

 provements as experience could 

 suggest. Upon the front ot the 

 same lot a business block of the 

 first-class, four stories in heigth 

 was erected. The restored build- 

 ing was occupied in the fall of 

 1873. The funds at the disposal 

 of the Academy being insufficient 

 for their needs, they borrowed 

 such additional sums as were nec- 

 essary, securing the lender by a 

 mortgage upon the whole property. 

 They estimated that the income 

 from the property would provide a 

 sinking fund by which the original 

 indebtedness would be paid when 

 it became due. The scheme, how- 

 ever, proved disastrous. The new 

 building did not pay the interest 

 on the indebtedness, and after a 

 term of years, in process of law, 



the whole property was lost to the 

 Academy. 



When, in 1886, the Academy 

 was finally driven from its home on 

 Wabash Avenue, the Exposition 

 Company received the collections 

 within its building upon the lake 

 front and paid the expense of their 

 maintenance. But in its turn, the 

 exposition company was ousted 

 and its building destroyed. The 

 property of the Academy was sent 

 to storage, where it remained for 

 several years. [During its early 

 days in the old Exposition build- 

 ing we first made the acquaintance 

 of the collection and our genial, 

 whole-souled friend, Dr. J. W. 

 Velie, who at that time was Secre- 

 tary and Curator of theAcademy and 

 unselfishly placed his time, money 

 and extensive collections at the 

 Academy's disposal. — Ed. N.S.N.] 



In 1891 when the affairs of the 

 Academy seemed to have reached 

 their lowest ebb, a proposition was 

 made to unite its fortunes with the 

 University of Chicago, then just 

 organizing. This the Academy 

 was not willing to do, feeling that 

 in time the identity of the organi- 

 zation would become lost in that 

 of the University. In 1892 a gen- 

 orous citizen of Chicago, Mr. Mat- 

 thew Laflin, seconded and aided 

 by his son George K. Laflin prom- 

 ised to give a sum adequate for the 

 purpose of erecting a building 

 which should stand for all time as 

 the home of the Academy. In 

 addition to this, it was ascertained 

 that it was possible for the com- 

 missioners of Lincoln Park to aid 

 in the prosecution of such an en- 

 terprise, by offering a site and ad- 

 ditional endowment. The result 

 is one of the most perfect museum 

 buildings situated in one of the most 

 beautiful parks in the world. In 

 June, 1893, the corner stone was 

 laid and Nov. 1, 1894, the build- 

 ing was formally thrown open to 

 the public. 



The new building is a plain rec- 

 tangular structure measuring 150 

 by 50 feet. The material of the 

 building is Bedford stone and the 

 architecture is Romanesque. Ov- 

 er the central doorway is the in- 

 scription Matthew Laflin Memor- 

 ial. 



The interior is decorated in old 

 gold and ivory giving a soft tone 

 to the light. There is electricity, 

 running water, electric bells, ele- 

 vator, and all the modern improve- 

 ments which go to make up a per- 

 fect museum. 



The library contains 5000 scien- 

 tific works. It communicates with 

 the museum by two stairways. 



