156 



at the station by Messrs. Tappan, Merrill, Price and 

 others, and were conveyed to various points of attraction 

 in carriages provided for the occasion. Some went to 

 the seashore, where "Eagle Rock" and the several fine 

 beaches offered great attractions, more especially "the 

 musical sands" which are situated on part of what is 

 known as the "Old Neck Beach," and are alluded to in 

 the notice of the meeting on Thursday, Aug. 2, 1866 ;* 

 some to the woods, noticing especially the famous bowlder 

 named " Agassiz Rock;" also large and fine specimens of 

 the tupelo tree (Nyssa multiflora) and of the sassafras 

 tree (Sassafras officinale) ; others went in different direc- 

 tions, as inclination dictated. 



Lunch was had at the Town Hall at about one o'clock, 

 tea and coffee being provided by citizens of the town, 

 and the afternoon session was held at the same place at 

 two and one-half o'clock. 



In the absence of the President, Vice President F. W. 

 PUTNAM took the chair and made the opening address. 



He stated that a field meeting was held at Manchester, 

 Aug. 28, 1849, the first year of holding these meetings, 

 being the third of this series. The place of rendezvous 

 was at the point, on Burley Smith's farm. The adjacent 

 shore was dredged to procure the mollusca and other 

 marine animals ; the late Mr. William Stimpson was 

 present and made his first dredging ; the forerunner of his 

 extensive and valuable services in sea dredging, which 

 has so indelibly associated his name with the marine 

 zoology of New England. 



In July, 1856, through arrangements made by Mr. 

 Jonathan French, jr., principal of the public high school, 

 another field meeting was held in the high school house, 



* See Proceedings of Essex Institute, Vol. v, page 57. 



