BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 19 



sketch. The election at this time being the first under the act of incorporation, this 

 list of those chosen is given in full. 



A letter was received at this time from Professor Edward Hitchcock, then engaged in 

 making a Geological Survey of the State, requesting the aid of members of the Society in 

 furnishing lists of the animals of Massachusetts, to be published with his report. The 

 following were appointed by the Council to serve as requested : Thos. Nuttall and Simon 

 E. Greene, on Ornithology; Drs. John Ware and Joshua B. Flint, Mammalia; Dr. J. V. C. 

 Smith, on Ichthyology ; Drs. Bass, Storer, and Binney, on Mollusca ; Drs. Harris and 

 Gould on Entomology; Dr. B. D. Greene, on Zoophytes. They were to submit their 

 reports to the Society. 



In July, 1831, the Committee on lectures reported that it was expedient to have fifteen, 

 and the following gentlemen were invited to deliver them : Dr. George Hayward, the 

 2d, 3d and 4th, on the natural history of man ; Dr. Joshua B. Flint, the 5th and 6th, on 

 quadrupeds ; Simon E. Greene, the 7th and 8th, on birds ; Dr. McKean, the 9th and 

 10th on reptiles; Dr. D. Humphreys Storer, the llth and 12th, on shells; Dr. Thaddeus 

 W. Harris, the 13th, 14th and 15th, on insects. Mr. Francis C. Gray was afterwards 

 appointed to give the introductory one. 



This course of lectures was given the ensuing season, but no record is found of the 

 result. That it was pecuniarily unsuccessful is, however, clear from a statement made 

 when the question of another series came up in the following February, to the purport 

 that the failure was disheartening. 



In February, 1832, a proposal was received from Mr. Savage of the Savings Bank, for 

 leasing a room in the building to be erected for that institution on Tremont street. This 

 led to the appointment of a committee to confer with him, and finally to an arrangement 

 by which the hall of the third story was engaged for the use of the Society. 



In February also, the committee on lectures reported that a course for the next season 

 was absolutely necessary for the prosperity of the Society. They advised that seventeen 

 should be given, and that Mr. Edward Everett be asked to deliver the introductory one ; 

 that the price of tickets should be $2 for the single one, and f 1 for each additional ; 

 that the lecturers be requested to deliver them gratuitously ; and that the whole 

 arrangement for the course be to the important one of increasing the finances of the 

 Society. The committee were instructed to engage Temple Hall for the lectures, and to 

 make all necessary arrangements for their delivery. 



At a subsequent meeting of the Society, doubts were expressed relative to the success 

 financially, of the proposed course for 1832-33, and apparently to ensure this it was 

 voted to put the tickets at $1. Whatever the effect of this reduction may have been, 

 it is certain, from the Treasurer's report of the next year, that financially, the course 

 was an exceedingly successful one, as it yielded a net profit of $720 to the Society. 



In March of this year, the committee on publication reported that it was expedient 

 to publish a Journal, but nothing appears to have been done towards carrying the 

 recommendation into effect, until sometime after. The report of the committee shows, 

 however, the feeling at this period relative to such publication. There seems to have 



