BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 95 



letter recently received from Dr. William J. Walker, to whom the Society was already so 

 largely indebted, wherein he promised to give $20,000 more on condition that others would 

 subscribe a like amount, the whole to be funded and used by the Society as a working cap- 

 ital. In conclusion Mr. Bouve urged very strongly that every member should give his 

 direct personal effort toward the raising of the sum requisite to secure so generous a 

 donation." 



Rev. Mr. Waterston thought " the time auspicious for the endeavor, since the Society, 

 within the means given for the object, has erected a handsome and spacious edifice, an orna- 

 ment to the city, and most suitable for its wants. We have done all we proposed to do in 

 the outset and have not overburdened ourselves with debt by overstepping the limits of 

 the fund set apart for this special purpose, and now in order to secure a working capital 

 which shall forever place in security our valuable collections, enable us to make a proper 

 exhibition of these to the public, and put us upon a proper basis as an active, progressive 

 Society, we call upon the public to subscribe for this object, $20,000; failing to secure 

 which, we have barely enough to maintain the building in proper repair, leaving out of 

 consideration our necessities for the proper exhibition and ultimate security of our cabinet, 

 and for the publication of our Proceedings and Memoirs." 



Others spoke earnestly upon the matter, urging prompt action, and finally a Committee 

 of Subscription was appointed, consisting of Prof. Jeffries Wyman, Dr. A. A. Gould, Dr. C. 

 T. Jackson, Prof. William B. Rogers, Rev. R. C. Waterston, Dr. Samuel Cabot, F. W. Lin- 

 coln, Dr. Henry Bryant, Dr. Charles Ware, Dr. D. Humphreys Storer, George B. Emerson, 

 Thomas T. Bouve, Dr. S. L. Abbot, M. D. Ross, R. C. Greenleaf, J. D. Philbrick, Edward 

 Pickering, N. L. Hooper, Lemuel Shaw, C. J. Sprague, Charles C. Sheafe, J. D. Kidder, 

 Thomas Gaffield, M. S. Scudder, and Dr. J. C. White. 



This committee issued a circular setting forth the need of a working fund to carry on 

 efficiently the objects of the Society, and mentioning the munificent offer of Dr. William J. 

 Walker to give $20,000 towards this, if a like sum should be obtained by subscription. 



To facilitate obtaining signatures for $100, an alteration was made in the By-laws by 

 which the payment of this sum would be requisite to constitute any one a life member, 

 and it was understood that all parties subscribing that amount towards the working fund 

 should be made life members. 



In April, Mr. Bouve announced the death of Dr. Edward Hitchcock of Amherst, an 

 honorary member, and subsequently made a short address upon his character, ending with 

 a presentation of the following resolution : 



" Resolved, That the members of the Boston Society of Natural History recognize in the 

 death of their late distinguished associate, Dr. Edward Hitchcock, the loss to themselves, 

 and to the public, of a man of comprehensive ability, of untiring devotion to the cause of 

 science, and of great private worth." 



A few days previous to the annual meeting of this year, died one who had been the first 

 of the Second Vice-Presidents of the Society at the time of its foundation, Dr. John Ware. 



He was the son of the Rev. Henry Ware, for thirty-five years Professor of Theology at 

 Harvard University, and was born at Hinghain, Mass., Dec. 19th, 1795. He graduated at 

 Harvard in 1813, and received the degrae of M. D. in 1816. In 1817 he removed to Bos- 

 ton, where by steady devotion to his profession, he gradually built up an extensive practice. 



