IN ESSEX COUNTY, MASS. 137 



to the Institute on the sodalite found on Salem Neck, 

 which Mr. D. M. Balch reported on again more thoroughly 

 in 1864. At a field meeting in Lynnfield, in Oct., 1856, 

 Mr. Chute displayed cabinet specimens of chlorite, epi- 

 dote, smoky quartz, fluorite (white and purple), feld- 

 spar, albite, pyrites, magnetite, siderite, magnesite, 

 serpentine and manganese, the last probably dendritic, 

 that he found in that town. 



In 1857, Mr. B. F. Mudge, of Lynn, appears among 

 the Institute workers in the field of geology. At the 

 field meetings in Lynn, Nahantand Lynufield, Mr. Mudge 

 rendered efficient aid in his department, and in other 

 ways at other times served the Institute. He gave the 

 names of fifteen minerals that he had found in Nahant. 



Mr. J. J. H. Gregory, of Marblehead, appears as 

 early as 1858 among the active forces of our society, ad- 

 mirably filling the place made vacant by Mr. Mudge's 

 removal to the west. He has been a faithful attendant 

 and valuable helper ever since, the Proceedings of the 

 Institute bearing witness to the diligence and intelligence 

 of his geological studies^ In Sept., 1858, Mr. Gregory 

 read a paper on " The Geology of Marblehead," which, 

 with such additions as more recent research might offer, 

 might profitably appear among the publications of the 

 Institute. 



In 1860, Mr. D. M. Balch became curator of miner- 

 alogy. The Proceedings of the Institute bear record to 

 his fidelity and competency. 



Jan. 7, 1861, Mr. S. S. Mackenzie presented a paper 

 on " The Geology of Topsfield," showing close and care- 

 ful observation, but offering little of interest to the min- 

 eralogist. 



Like all of our towns, Topsfield was early agitated by 

 the gold fever, iron pyrites being in nearly all cases the 



