BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 129 



Mention was made in giving an account of the proceedings at the evening reception on 

 the day of the Humboldt celebration, of a fine portrait presented by the Rev. Mr. Waters- 

 ton to the Society. Tiiis may now be seen in the Library of the Museum. 



The hearty thanks of the Society were passed to Mr. Watersto n not only for the val 

 uable portrait and autograph, but for the unflagging energy with which he had labored 

 for the success of the Humboldt celebration. Testimony was borne to the untiring zeal 

 manifested by him in obtaining subscriptions for the fund, and in performing a large part 

 of the work consequent upon the celebration. The Society also expressed its obligations 

 to Prof. Agassiz for his able address, a copy of which was a^ked for publication. Thanks 

 were also voted to the Orpheus Musical Association, and to Mr. Carl Zerrahn, for their wel- 

 come aid in the performances of the occasion; also to Mr. J. H. Paine, who presided at 

 the organ. 



1870. On January 19th, Dr. Thomas Waterman was elected Curator of Comparative 

 Anatomy and Mammals. 



At the meeting of April 20th, in view of contemplated changes in the administration of 

 the Society, certain alterations were made in tlie Constitution and By-laws to go into 

 effect on and after the annual meeting. The most important of these arose from the sub- 

 stitution of Committees for Curators in the care of the Museum. 



The Constitution was made to express that the officers of the Society shall consist of a 

 President, two Vice-Presidents, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary, a Libra- 

 rian, a Custodian and a Committee of three on each' department of the Museum, etc., etc. 



The By-laws were so altered as to define that the Committees should he entrusted with 

 the care of the Museum ; that they should be designated for particular departments at 

 tlie time of their election, and consist of not more than three members, one of whom 

 should be named by the nominating committee to act as chairman. The duties mentioned 

 were such as the By-laws previously active expressed for those of the Curators. 



Annual meeting. The Custodian's report gave the following summary of the doings of 

 the Society during the year : 



There had been eighteen general meetings, the average attendance at which had been 

 thirty-two : eight of the section of Entomology, with an average attendance of eleven : 

 and seven of the section of Microscopy, with an average attendance of nine. Forty-seven 

 scientific communications had been made by twenty-five persons, all of which had been 

 printed in full or by title in the Proceedings. 



One Honorary, three Corresponding and thirty-nine Resident Members had been elected. 



Three courses of evening lectures had been arranged for by the Council. One of twelve, 

 entitled Sketches of Animal Life, by Mr. Edward S. Morse, delivered in the early part of 

 the season, had an average audience of seventy-six persons ; the second, consisting also of 

 twelve, given by Mr. William T. Brigham, entitled The Earth we live on, had an 

 audience averaging ninety-eight persons ; the third, not concluded at the time of the annual 

 meeting, consisted of four, entitled Familiar Talks about Insects, given by Mr. F. G. San- 

 born. The average attendance at these was about sixty. 



Of the Publications it was stated that from economical considerations the issue of a large 

 number of the Memoirs had been postponed. Of the Proceedings the twelfth volume had 

 been printed, and a part of the thirteenth. The address of Prof. Agassiz at tlie recent cele- 



