19 



Fifty-five genera of recent and fossil shells, comprising 117 



species. — From Col. J. G. Totten. 

 Specimen of shelly concretion, used as building-stone at St. 



Augustine, Florida, and a portion of a Mastodon tooth from 



Glynn county, Georgia. — From the same. 

 Specimens of crystallised Snlpluiret of Silver, and Carbonate of 



Lime, from Mexico. — From Don Velasquez de Leon, one of 



the Mexican Cominissioners. 

 Boylston Prize Essays, by Dr. Parsons, of Providence, Rhode 



Island. — From the Author. 

 Silicified wood ; Galena, from Nashville, Tennessee ; Quartz, 



from Tybee Island, Georgia. — From G. Gaither. 

 Splendid specimen of crystalliafid Carbonate of Lime, from 



Wyer's Cave, Virginia. Gold ore, from Spottsylvania coun- 

 ty, Virginia. — From his Excellency Martin Van Buren, 



President oj the United States. 



The First Director reported that, agreeably to the desire of 

 the members, he had invited several literary and scientific 

 gentlemen, in this and other cities, to deliver lectures before 

 the National Institution. 



General Macomb, from the committee appointed to make 

 arrangements for the first annual meeting, reported that the 

 Hon. Joel R. Poinsett had consented, at their request, to fur. 

 nish for publication a copy of the Discourse pronounced by 

 him on the 4th instant, the anniversary of the National Institu- 

 tion. Fromthe Discourse thefoUowing extracts have been made: 



Extracts from the Discourse of the Hon. J. R. Poinsett, First Director, on the 

 objects and importance of the National Institution. 



"The lovers of Science, Literature, anJ the Fine Arts, residing in this District, 

 felt sensibly the absence of those resources which are found elsewhere, and are 

 necesBary for the attainment of knowledge. They were mortified to perceive that 

 the great advantages possessed by the public authorities at Washington were neg- 

 lected, and that, at the seat ot Government of this great nation, there existed few- 

 er means than in any other city of the Union of prosecuting those studies, which, 

 while they impart dignity and enjoyment to existence, lead to the most useful 

 practical results. They believed it to be their duty to arouse the attention of 

 Government to these deficiencies, and, at all events, to address themselves to the 

 task of supplying them, as far as could be done by their individual and combined 



