24 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



satisfactory, and a committee was appointed to correspond with him and suggest some 

 modification of them. 



Up to this time the meetings of the Council had not been lield reguhirly, but only as 

 occasion seemed to require. It was now, January 7tli, voted that they be holden twice 

 eacli montli, immediately after the regular meetings of the Society. 



At the annual meeting in May, it was reported that besides the ^2000 cash befoi'e 

 mentioned, a note payable in five years for a like amount had been received from Mr. 

 Courtis. 



It was also reported that the usual success did not attend the lectures of the last season, 

 the expenses having exceeded the receipts, $177.05. The first ^'■annual" so called, 

 issued by the Society, embracing the address delivered by the Rev. F. W. P. Greenwood, 

 upon opening of the new hall ; Remarks in defence of the Author of the Birds of America, 

 by the Rev. John Bachman ; Description of a Gibbon, hy Winslow Lewis, M. D. ; Cicin- 

 delae of Massachusetts, by Augustus A. Gould, M. D. ; and observations on a shell in the 

 cabinet of the Society, supposed to be identical with the Murex aruanus of Linnaeus, by 

 Dr. Amos Binney, Jr., was reported to have paid for itself the first year. These papers 

 compose part first of the first volume of the Journal of the Society. 



At this meeting the Annual Address was delivered by Dr. Walter Channing. It is thus 

 spoken of in the record. " Dr. Channing laid the Society under great obligation by an 

 exceedingly well-timed and interesting address. The objects and progress of the Society, 

 its wants, its claims upon the members and the community at large, the reasons why it 

 should live and flourish ; all these considerations were dwelt upon with an earnestness and 

 enthusiasm which couhl not l)ut produce a corresponding impulse in the minds of his 

 hearers." 



The thanks of the Society were voted to Dr. Channing, and he was requested to deposit 

 a copy of his discourse with its papers, for the use of the members. 



In a revision of the proceedings of the Society published some years later than this 

 period, the statement is distinctly ninde that this address of Dr. Channing, Avhicli was 

 highly conunended by those who heard it, was printed, but a copy has been sought 

 in vain. Unfortunately the manuscript itself cannot be found in the archives of the 

 Society, which is the more to be regretted as it is supposed to have embraced matter con- 

 nected with its early history, that would have been interesting to present in these pages. 



The only changes made in the officers this year were as follows : Dr. N. B. ShurtlefF 

 was chosen Cabinet Keeper, in place of Estes Howe, resigned ; Dr. Thaddeus W. Harris, 

 Mr. J. E. Teschcmacher, and Dr. Martin Gay, were elected Curators in place of Mr. William 

 B. Fowle, Dr. George W. Otis and Dr. Joseph W. McKean. 



In June of this year the curators agreed among themselves to each take charge of sep- 

 arate divisions of the cabinet. The curatorships were not assigned to sj^ecial departments 

 until three years later. 



A solar microscope was received this year from Europe, the gift of Mr. Ambrose S. 

 Courtis, who purchased it for presentation to the Society. This was put on exhibition for its 

 benefit, the members only being admitted gratis. In October the exhibition having ceased 

 to be remunerative was closed. In August, the committee on lectures reported that they 



