220 



out different styles and classes of floral life, so that each 

 gets, as it were, a distinctive mark. The late summer and 

 autumn months are the peculiar time of the Composite 

 Flowers. The Aster is generally taken as the type of these 

 and is one of the most numerous. Nearly forty species are 

 recognized in the Northern States, and of these he exhibited 

 several. The Thistle represents one section of this great 

 family. Yet there are plenty of other kinds of plants in 

 autumn, as, for example, many of the pea-flowered class. 

 In this we see to-day the Bush Clover and the Tick-Trefoil, 

 whose seeds stick to the clothes. The Dwarf Cornel is now 

 in fruit. It is much, on a small scale, like the Flowering 

 Dogwood, whose bark has been substituted for Cinchona. 

 The Prenanthes and Gentians were also spoken of, also the 

 Canada Burnet ; and some notice was taken of the Mints, 

 perfectly free from hurtful properties, and affording an ap- 

 preciable quantity of camphor. 



F. W. PUTNAM of Salem, gave some illustration of the 

 zoology of this place, producing several tree-toads, frogs, 

 <fec., also a large worm supposed to be the larva of the Five- 

 spotted Sphynx. He gave familiar expositions of the changes 

 of the insect and reptile life during development ; and re- 

 marked on the erroneous notion that most of our reptiles 

 are poisonous. We have no venomous species in the East- 

 ern States, save the Rattlesnake and an occasional Copper- 

 head. He then proceeded to describe the interior structure 

 of the nest of the Humble-Bee, an insect only imperfectly 

 understood, as indeed are too many of our common animals 

 even yet. It has been estimated that there are six thousand 

 six hundred and thirty-five species, oi animals inhabiting New 

 England. Mr. P. added some explanation of the geologi- 

 cal record of animal life, and argued that the evidence 



