40 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



passing votes expressive of their views on the subject, copies of which were sent to the 

 Hon. Secretary of the Navy, and to Hon. Robert C. Winthrop, the representative of this 

 district in Congress. 



1843. In the early part of this year ten members of the Society subscribed to Audu- 

 bon's work on the Quadrupeds of the United States for presentation to the Society. They 

 were George B. Emerson, N. I. Bowditch, Amos Binney, Jr., George C. Shattuck, Jr., 

 J. Amory Lowell, George Parkman, William Sturgis, F. C. Gray, John James Dixwell 

 and Amos A. Lawrence. 



On May 3d, in the absence of many members who were attending the meeting of the 

 Association of Geologists and Naturalists at Albany, it was voted to postpone the business 

 of this meeting, the annual one, to the 17th inst. On that date, therefore, it was trans- 

 acted. The Curators' reports were generally very gratifying. Dr. Cragin of Surinam 

 had again enriched the cabinet by donations to the several departments of Comparative 

 Anatomy, Herpetology, Ornithology, and Ichthyology, and as usual in former years fre- 

 quent contributions to them all had been made by the members. 



The Curator of Ornithology mentioned that the collection had increased during the 

 year to 753 specimens mounted and unmounted, of which 172, comprising 131 species, 

 were natives of Massachusetts. 



The Curator of the department of Geology as disconnected with that of Mineralogy, 

 made his first report. The whole collection was stated to consist of about 1000 specimens, 

 400 of which had been received by donations during the year, 200 of these being Silurian, 

 50 Carboniferous, 25 New Red Sandstone, nearly 500 Tertiary and 50 of unstratified rqcks, 

 lavas, etc. The remainder were undetermined. It shoujd be borne in mind that this 

 department of Geology embraced the fossils of the several formations at this time, that of 

 Palaeontology not being made a separate one until years later. 



The Librarian stated the increase of books during the year to have been 105 volumes 

 and 55 pamphlets, making the whole collection 1071 volumes and 250 pamphlets, inde- 

 pendent of the publications of the Society. 



The Treasurer reported expenditures exceeding receipts in the general account showing 

 a deficit of $258.45, but of the Courtis Fund income he reported excess of receipts over 

 expenditures $303.53. 



The annual address was delivered by Dr. Jeffries Wyman, and was a learned and inter- 

 esting discourse on the progress of science during the past year. 



Mr. George B. Emerson, who had served the Society with great fidelity as President for 

 six years, having declined a re-election, Dr. Amos Binney was unanimously elected in 

 his place. The Corresponding Secretary who had likewise held this office for six years, 

 also resigned, and Dr. A. A. Gould was elected to fill the vacancy. Dr. Charles T. Jackson 

 was chosen First Vice-President, and Dr. D. Humphreys Storer, Second Vice-President. 

 Other changes were in Jeffries Wyman being elected Curator of Reptiles and Fishes, and 

 A. E. Belknap, Curator of Conchology. 



On the 2d day of August of this year, there passed from earth one of the best of 

 men ; one whom all who knew, loved and revered. This man was the Rev. F. W. P. 

 Greenwood. It is a joy to dwell on such a character, and it was a privilege of the early 

 members of the Society to have associated with them one so much loved and respected, 



