concavo-convex, incurved at the ends, and little, or not at all angled on 

 the inner (concave) side by the funiculus. Those of A. lingulata are 

 yellowish or pale straw color, and very perceptibly angular on the 

 convave side. The leaves are so much alike that a character can 

 hardly be drawn from them. On the whole, then, though not quite 

 convinced that we have allowed, all these years, two species to pass 

 under one name, the differences indicated above, if not sufficient to 

 satisfy all that we here have two well marked species, they are inter- 

 esting enough to excite farther enquiry, and to settle the question one 

 way or another. 



Some one may, very naturally ask, how shall we know which is the 

 original A. latifolia. This I cannot tell, and I fancy it can only be de- 

 cided by reference to the original so named by Linnaeus. Mr. Grise- 

 bach's Jamaica specimen has the long stamens and style. In Cuba, 

 so far as I can judge by my specimen, it must be rare ; as nearly all 

 that I have dried there belong to A. lingulata. If Mr. Grisebach's 

 attention had been directed to this point when in the new Herbarium, 

 he might have decided it and perhaps he did. 



MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 1868. Kegular Meeting. 

 Vice President GOODELL in the chair. 



Correspondence and donations announced. 



Mr. G. L. STREETER read a very interesting paper on Salem as it 

 was one hundred years ago. He described persons, places, incidents 

 and social customs with vividness, and presented a graphic picture of 

 the old town as it appeared just previous to the breaking out of the 

 Revolutionary War. 



He commenced by an account of the establishment in Salem, in 

 1768, of the Printing Press of Samuel Hall, our first printer, and the 

 projector of the "Essex Gazette," and proceeded to give a minute 

 statement of the conditon of the town as it then was. He sketched 

 the outlines of its exterior appearance, the streets, public and private 

 buildings, and street scenes and daily life, describing with particu- 

 larity some of the more elegant residences, and giving detailed ac- 

 counts of the Churches, Taverns, and of the old Town House and 

 other public buildings on School street. He then passed to an ac- 

 count of the business of the place, its commercial interests, the 

 wharves and shipping. The state of public opinion upon religious 

 and political subjects was also spoken of. The social condition of the 

 place, the style of dress, the modes of travelling, the amusements 

 and recreations of the community were reviewed at length. The 

 principal inhabitants and social aspect of the town were touched upon 

 in passing. 



The political status of the town with reference to the approaching 

 revolution was exhibited quite fully, with the purpose of showing the 

 violence of the contest, the nature of the feelings and sentiments in- 

 volved, and the progress of events. The principal persons in the 

 town on each side were introduced and particularly noticed. The ex- 

 citing events at about the time of Gov. Gage's visit here occupied 

 considerable attention, and he gave a personal account of the princi- 



