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mutation of species among plants, holding that, while under 

 cultivation, plants were by the hand of man, changed, so 

 as to produce well marked varieties, yet, if left to nature's 

 own laws, every species would remain true to the charac- 

 teristics stamped upon it by the Creator, at its first appear- 

 ance upon earth. 



Eev. E. C. Bolles, of the Portland Nat. Hist, Society, 

 upon being introduced, made a most eloquent, and appro- 

 priate speech, advising all to study the works of God in 

 the field, and open their eyes to the beautiful gems at their 

 feet. Mr. Bolles stated that he had come from Portland 

 with his fellow member of the Nat. Hist. Society, Mr. 

 Morse, to see how a field meeting was conducted, and 

 hoped that his own Society would be able to follow the 

 example of the Essex Institute. 



Rev. G. W Skinner, of Gloucester, exhibited, under a 

 microscope, some infusorial earth found on the Cape, and 

 explained the rjrobable origin of the deposit. 



Prof. Wm. Hinks, of University College, Toronto, C. W. 

 was introduced to the meeting, and gave an interesting, 

 general account of the lower animals and plants, during 

 which he stated that he was inclined, with others, to admit 

 a fifth branch to the animal kingdom, in which the sponges 

 and allied organisms should be placed. 



Rev. Joseph Banvard, of Worcester, gave an account of 

 the Worcester Society which had similar objects with those 

 of the Essex Institute, and had commenced to hold field 

 meetings. In the Worcester Society, ladies are not only 

 admitted as members, but are elected assistant curators, 

 and take an active part in all the meetings of the Society, 

 reading papers, and discussing the various subjects pre- 

 sented. Mr. Banvard stated that he had recently seen the 

 ants feeding upon the juices secreted by the aphides, or 

 plant lice, and that he had noticed three distinct species 



