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facilities for pursuing the same in our various educational 

 institutions witliin the past fifty years. At that time 

 public attention was being awakened to the importance 

 of these investigations. Societies having these objects in 

 view were organizing, the general government and the 

 legislatures of the several states were making appropriations 

 for scientific surveys of their respective domains, and 

 the same were under consideration. 



The introduction of the use of the dredge, the trawl, 

 etc., by naturalists, especially by those connected with the 

 U. S. Fish Commission, has been instrumental in adding 

 largely to the knowledge of the marine fauna and flora of 

 our coast. The arrival of Prof. L. Agassiz in this coun- 

 try, in 1846, marks an important era in the history of 

 science. His lectures before the Lowell Institute, and 

 elsewhere in the United States, created a zeal and in- 

 terest in zoological studies ; the formation of the Museum 

 of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, under his aus- 

 pices, and the great progress in the development of his 

 plans since his decease, by the liberality and persevering 

 energy of his son A. Agassiz, will long remain as a lasting 

 monument to his great and careful labors in this direction. 

 Many of his pupils are now holding professorships in 

 several of our colleges and schools of learning, and are 

 doing good work in the promotion of the natural sciences. 



The President then introduced the Kev. Sereno D. 

 Gammell, of Boxford, who made a brief and practical 

 address, in which he compared the vastness of the ocean 

 with the limitless domain of knowledge ; but this large- 

 ness of the field should not discourage the beginner, for 

 the more one studies, the more he will be interested, and 

 the mind will be absorbed in the research and investi- 

 gation. He also spoke of the power of self-restraint, 



