88 



tourist and scientist from visiting that region at the 

 proper season of the year to collect the best specimens. 



Rev. E. C. BOLLES mentioned the occurrence at Swamp- 

 scott, on the Stetson farm, very near the railroad, of one 

 of the most beautiful of the microscopic Algge, the Batra- 

 chospermum moniliforme. This plant requires very pure 

 running water ; and it closely invests the stones in little 

 streams, moving its clusters of soft green threads very 

 gracefully with the flowing of the brook. Under a lens 

 each filament is seen to consist of a central thread, around 

 which, at regular intervals, are whorls of other threads at 

 right angles to the first, so that the whole appears like 

 minute circular brushes, similar to those used for cleaning 

 the flues of a chimney and strung like beads some distance 

 apart. The threads are necklaces of globular cells, and 

 the spores are to be found in a cluster near the centre of 

 each whorl. These plants are with difficulty preserved, 

 as they change color and cease to exhibit this peculiar 

 arrangement when pressed on paper. They are usually 

 put up for the microscope in glycerine jelly. 



Mr. F. W. PUTNAM mentioned having noticed the ap- 

 pearance on April 3rd, of the common or white-bellied 

 swallow, Tachycincta bicolor. 



Charles A. Carlton of Salem was elected a resident 

 member. 



Adjourned. 



