VI. 



The annually increasing store of written contributions from mem 

 bers, besides these reviews of the state and progress of certain 

 departments of inquiry, will, it is believed, soon call for the publica- 

 tion of another volume. 



The miscellaneous oral communications on various questions of 

 science, and the very interesting and instructive discussions to which 

 these and the more elaborate written ones, gave rise, though impart- 

 ing a high zest to the proceedings of the meetings, are necessarily 

 but imperfectly reported in these pages. 



Sincere thanks are due, by the Association and the friends of 

 science throughout the country, to those gentlemen of Boston, who, 

 with characteristic liberality, have contributed very important pecu- 

 niary aid towards the publication of the present volume, which, but 

 for their opportune assistance, could not have appeared. The nu- 

 merous lithographic illustrations, which so materially enhance the 

 utility of the volume, required too considerable an outlay for a Soci- 

 ety still young, and limited in numbers. 



