252 



priate allusion to the ancient dwellers of Swampscott, whose 

 names have become a part of the history of the town, also 

 of the events which occurred in the early settlement. 



Records of the preceding meeting read. 



Donations received since the Annual meeting of the 18th 

 ult. were announced : 



To the Library from Mrs. Lucy P. Johnson ; Samuel 

 Johnson Jr.; Saint Louis Academy of Science ; Philadel- 

 phia Academy of Natural Science ; H. J. Hastings of Al- 

 bany N.Y.; New Jersey Historical Society ; N. Paine of 

 Worcester ; Charles Stephens of Beverly ; William Mack ; 

 Charles F. Nichols ; Joseph Willard of Boston ; H. I. Bow- 

 ditch of Boston ; California Academy of Natural Science ; 

 C. B. Richardson of New York. 



To the Cabinets from C. F. Nichols; T. M. Pond; C. 

 H. Higbee ; John Robinson ; John Prescott of Grafton 

 N.H.; George Killham ; Museum of Comparative Zoology 

 at Cambridge ; S. Jillson of Feltonville ; Geo. G. Creamer. 



Letters were read from Maine Historical Society ; Trus- 

 tees of Boston Public Library ; S. P. Fowler of Danvers ; 

 S. A. Green, Surgeon 24th Reg. Mass Vols.; Nath'l Paine 

 of Worcester ; S. Barden of Rockport ; Allen W. Dodge of 

 Hamilton ; Charles Dean of Boston ; Joseph Willard of 

 Boston. 



PROF. L. AGASSIZ of Cambridge, being called up by a grace- 

 ful allusion made by the Chair, spoke of the boundlessness of 

 investigation, and the importance of studying common things. 

 Nothing, he said, is so instructive as the continued study of 

 those things we know most of. The more we examine Na- 

 ture, the more she suggests to us. He spoke of his recent 



