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beautiful grove ou the river banks, hence its name, and 

 fine views from the several eminences in the centre of the 

 town. He said that this day they had come to the sea- 

 shore, the rock-bound coast, lashed in the wintry months 

 wdth the tempestuous waves, and that in the summer the 

 calm and placid waters, the cool and refreshing breezes 

 rendered it a most delightful retreat ; that here another 

 field was opened for their inspection, the marine fauna 

 and flora, and the peculiar geological formation of this 

 part of the coast. 



The speaker reminded them that thej^ had come to a 

 new place, not newly settled but new to most of them, 

 and in common with the members of the Institute he had 

 found much enjoyment in visiting these new scenes and 

 attractions. 



Mr. F. W. Putnam of Salem was called upon and 

 made some interesting remarks founded on two specimens 

 which he had collected during his rambles in the forenoon. 



INDIAN SHELL HEAPS. 



He said that he had taken a boat and visited Coffin's 

 beach and the sand hills adjacent, Avith the hope of dis- 

 covering some of the Indian shell heaps which are fre- 

 quently found along the New England coast, often buried 

 beneath the sand drifts, and uncovered at other times by 

 the shifting of the sand. He h:id found but one such at 

 Coffin's farm as the excessive heat prevented him from 

 continuing his search. From this one he had obtained a 

 small piece of Indian pottery, which was passed round 

 and exhibited to the audience. He said this was a piece 

 of an ornamented pot, as was shown b}' the groove across 

 it, and iVoni the curvature of the piece it must have 

 been a part of a small vessel. Some of these [lots were 



