142 AN HISTORICAL SKETCH. 



phatically, "Ladies, you will perceive, are not excluded, 

 and it is anticipated that they will contribute much to the 

 success of the society. Several in Salem have already 

 become subscribers." 



These anticipations have been more than realized. 

 Ladies have always taken a deep interest in the society 

 and its work, and have greatly aided us in many ways 

 and by gifts of substantial value. It would be interesting 

 to know who were the ladies who first became members of 

 the society. 



The first anniversary address delivered before the Essex 

 County Natural History Society was by Rev. John Lewis 

 Russell, June 15, 1836. 



On the sixteenth day of April, 1834, the society held 

 its first field meeting at Topsfield, at the hotel then stand- 

 ing on the line of the Newburyport turnpike. 



The company came in carriages, as railroads were then 

 unheard of. I came to the meeting in a chaise with Dr. 

 Ebenezer Hunt. The following persons were present : 

 Dr. Andrew Nichols, of Danvers ; William Oakes, Esq., 

 of Ipswich ; Rev. Gardner B. Perry, of Bradford ; Mr. 

 John M. Ives, of Salem; Mr. Benjamin Hale Ives, of 

 Salem ; Rev. John Lewis Russell, of Salem ; Dr. Ebe- 

 nezer Hunt, of Danvers ; and Samuel P. Fowler, of Dan- 

 vers ; and perhaps some others whose names may have 

 escaped my recollection. Only one of those then present 

 is now living. Several of the party brought with them 

 specimens of natural history, Mr. William Oakes bring- 

 ing several of the beautiful plates of Audubon's magnifi- 

 cent work on the Birds of North America. The field 

 meeting which was held fifty years ago was much like 

 those of the present day. Rev. Mr. Russell, when allud- 

 ing to it in his address, says, "the season, the weather, 



