110 



Mr. Gannett also spoke of the geology of the Cape, 

 and expressed the hope that if there were any present 

 interested in that direction they would open these hard 

 leaflets and read the tables written there by the hand of 

 God. We have on Massachusetts' southern shore a long, 

 sandy beach called Cape Cod, and here on the other side 

 of the bay is a rocky cape. The southern shore is 

 changed by the waves, but these rocks for years have re- 

 mained the same. 



The President stated that the geology of this county 

 was a problem not yet satisfactorily solved. The atten- 

 tion of Prof. T. Sterry Hunt of the Canadian survey and 

 other geologists has been directed to this subject, and 

 these irentlcmen will give it a careful consideration. 

 Prof. A. Hyatt, a member of the Institute, is collecting 

 materials for a report on this subject. At a meeting of 

 the Institute, a few weeks since, he exhibited a beauti- 

 fully executed map of Marblehead Neck, and gave the 

 results of his observations in that locality and its imme- 

 diate vicinity. It is intended to continue these observa- 

 tions each successive season, until the whole county has 

 been examined ; thus we may expect, ere the lapse of 

 many years, to have the materials for the long desired 

 report on the geology of the county read}' for the press, 

 with correct maps illustrating the same. 



THE STUDY OF THE LOWER FORMS OF LIFE. 



Concerning the plate containing sixty varieties of spi- 

 ders, captured and commented upon by Mr. James H. 

 Emerton, Dr. A. H. Johnson remarked, that as it had 

 passed from baud to hand through the audience for inspec- 

 tion, possibly the thought had arisen, that to catch and 

 study these little animals is frivolous business — amusing, 



