694 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



bership of the Essex Institute, in 1S55, he being then in bis sixteenth 

 year. In 1856 he was made curator of ornithology and cabinet-keep- 

 er. In the thirty years that have since elapsed he has taken an active 

 part in the Institute, holding many important offices, and since 1871 

 has been its vice-president. It was in 1856, also, that he was elected a 

 member of the Boston Society of Natural History, and here, too, his 

 ability as a naturalist was promptly recognized, as shown by his being 

 placed on many important committees, made a member of its Coun- 

 cil, and in 1880 vice-president, a position which he still holds. 



In February, 1856, a most important step was taken. Putnam en- 

 tered the Lawrence Scientific School, and became a special student 

 under Professor Agassiz. In a few months, Professor Agassiz made 

 him an assistant at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, in special 

 charge of the collection of fishes. In this capacity he remained until 

 1864, when he married and removed to Salem, to take charge of the 

 Museum of the Essex Institute. 



In August, 1856, Putnam joined the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science. In 1869, during Professor Lovering's ab- 

 sence in Europe, he acted for him, in the office of permanent secre- 

 tary, and during this time was also local secretary of the Salem meet- 

 ing. In 1873, on the resignation of Professor Lovering, he was elected 

 permanent secretary, and has been re-elected three times, and is now 

 serving his fourth term of five years, being, under the old and new 

 constitutions, a continuous tenure of thirteen years. When elected 

 to this responsible office, in 1873, the Association barely numbered five 

 hundred members, and now has a membership-list of over two thou- 

 sand names. It is unquestionable that this increase is largely due to 

 Professor Putnam's executive ability and thorough realization of wbat 

 such an association needs to make it a success. 



In 1867 the trustees of the fund given by the late George Pea- 

 body for the promotion of science and useful knowledge in Essex 

 County, Massachusetts, appointed Putnam Superintendent of the Mu- 

 seum of the East India Marine Society and the scientific collections of 

 the Essex Institute, which the trustees had received as a permanent 

 deposit, with authority to reorganize and arrange them in the East 

 India Marine Hall. On the incorporation of the trustees of this fund, 

 given by the great philanthropist, under the name of the Peabody 

 Academy of Science, Putnam was appointed Director of the Museum, 

 and held the office until he resigned in 1876, when he removed to Cam- 

 bridge. 



In 1868 the degree of A. M. was conferred upon Putnam, by Will- 

 iams College, where he had lectured on zoology and aided in the scien- 

 tific arrangement of the natural history collections. 



In 1874 Putnam was an instructor at the School of Natural His- 

 tory on Penikese Island, taking charge of the school at the opening of 

 its summer term, during the illness of Mr. Alexander Agassiz. 



