126 



It is a matter of regret that this institution, so well 

 situated for the education of youth, should have suffered 

 so much from neglect, and it is to be hoped that efforts 

 will be made to place it again in the position it held in 

 the past. 



Dr v JEREMIAH SPOFFORD spoke of the character of 

 Dummer Academy, which he had known for seventy-five 

 years. He had the honor of Dr. Parish's acquaintance, 

 and had met Dr. Cleavelaud in council. The former was 

 a most forcible speaker, and a bitter enemy to the Demo- 

 cratic party. The latter had greater education than many 

 about him who had greater practice, but he was too digni- 

 fied for his position. 



Mr. FREDERICK W. PUTNAM gave an account of the few 

 zoological specimens he had collected about the grounds 

 of the Academy, and in a small neighboring brook. He 

 specially described the structure of the galls on the wild 

 rose, and described the insects by which they were made. 

 He also exhibited a colony of Polyzoa, of a species quite 

 abundant on the stones in the brook, and described their 

 different stages of growth, which were so fully illustrated 

 by Prof. Hj'att several years since, in the Proceedings of 

 the Institute. 



Mr. JOHN EOBINSON of Salem talked about the plants 

 which he had collected, remarking that every one should 

 know enough of botany to be able to distinguish the poi- 

 sonous plants. Ivy and dogwood were the only ones in 

 Essex County. With the latter he thought that few per- 

 sons were acquainted. He then spoke of the fertilization 

 of plants by insects, and made a few remarks on the 

 growth of the fungi. 



