THE PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 3 



from the struggle for daily bread. And how often, alas! is the 

 earnest young scientist, who, born for his work, drawn to it as by 

 an irresistible magnet, having mastered opposition and seen the way 

 to usefulness and distinction opening up brightly before him, how 

 often, in the mysterious ordering of earthly events, is he called on to 

 stay his feet on the threshold, to give up high hopes and unselfish 

 ambition, and — like him we so newly and deeply lament — to lay 

 down his life and his life-work unfinished together ! 



That our honored associate, knowing as he did, the probable 

 event, knowing that his day of work must end with the morning 

 hours, still kept right on, did not idly fold his hands and rest from 

 the sowing whose harvest he might not reap, was the noblest act of 

 a bright, inspiring life. Since to rest ga\e no hope of recovered 

 health or even of long reprieve, the talents entrusted to his keeping 

 might not lie unused for a moment. 



What a lesson for the vigorous youth of our city, for many mem- 

 bers of this organization even, who are letting the golden days 

 speed by unimproved ; even seeking to hasten the flagging hours 

 by frivolous or worse dissipation ! Fragments of truth, in what- 

 ever field they may be found, are treasures the smallest of which 

 may lead to a very Golconda of intellectual or material wealth. 

 Truth-seekers in some, in any direction, are what humanity most 

 needs. Here in this Academy is opportunity for mutually healthful 

 work, but where are the host of workers.'' We should constitute a 

 busy hive. Our shelves and publications should overflow with a 

 honeyed store of original accumulations. Not many — though some, 

 it is to be hoped — will be found among us to continue the special 

 work which J. Duncan Putnam so loved. But Entomology and 

 Embryology, out of which in a few shoit years he won an envied 

 fame, are but parts of the broad field here lying fallow. 



li there not some one who could devote a portion of his time to 

 collecting and studying our native birds, their habits, food, nesting, 

 etc., and place in the museum a pair of each species, with eggs, 

 nest, and description ? The work once begun would widen out and 

 aflTord recreation at least, for a lifetime. So with a study of the fishes 

 and reptiles of our streams ; our river and land shells ; the small 

 mammals of our woods and fields ; our flowering herbs, shrubs, and 

 forest trees ; our mosses and ferns ; fungi and infusorial life ; crystal 

 forms and chemical reactions ; histology and comparative anatomy, 

 etc. In each of the many departments of science, and in each many 



