The Secretary read a commimication from the American 

 Academ}^ of Arts and Sciences, inviting the Essex Insti- 

 tute to select one or more delegates to attend the celebra- 

 tion of its 100th anniversary to be held in Boston on the 

 26th of May, 1880. 



On motion of Mr. F. W. Putnam, the selection of 

 delegates was referred to a committee, consisting of the 

 President and Secretary. 



A similar invitation was read from the Minnesota His- 

 torical Society, which will celebrate the 200th anniversary 

 of the discovery of the Falls of St. Anthony, on the 3rd 

 day of July, 1880, to send a representative on that occa- 

 sion. The subject was referred to the same committee 

 with power to act. 



Regular Meeting, Monday, March 1, 1880. 



Meeting this evening. The President in the chair. 

 Records read. Donations and correspondence announced. 



Yice President F. W. Putnam made a communication 

 of peculiar interest, but of which only a brief abstract of 

 some portions is here given. His subject was "The former 

 Indians of Southern California, as bearing on the origin 

 of the Red Man in America." 



After giving an account of the discovery of the Penin- 

 sula of California, in 1534, by an expedition fitted out by 

 Cortes, he gave an historical resume of the military ex- 

 peditions to Upper California, the establishment of the 

 missions by the Jesuits and Franciscans, and of their de- 

 grading influence on the Indians. 



He then called attention to the facts relating to the 

 antiquity of man on the Pacific coast, and to the importance 



