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families, concluding by speaking of the part which flowers bear in 

 propagating the plant, and of the influence of insects, such as bees, 

 in stirring up and distributing the pollen. If by this partial account 

 of a few specimens he had succeeded in exciting in the minds of some 

 of his young auditors wonder, he hoped they would investigate these 

 subjects still farther, for wonder was only the shadow of the temple 

 of knowledge. 



Mr. EDWARD S. MORSE of Salem, described the shellheaps found 

 in this vicinity, and which, in fact, have been found all along the 

 coast away to Labrador. These deposits of clams and oyster shells 

 were very ancient, and are to be taken as among. the evidences of art 

 which mark the period when they were deposited. There are but few 

 stone implements found with these shells, and the evidence is that 

 the shellheaps belong to an earlier period than the stone implements. 

 Some of the latter he described, including the gouges. Some of the 

 banks of oyster shells are twelve, fifteen and even twenty feet deep, 

 indicating great antiquity. In Ipswich had been found the bones of 

 the moose, deer, elk, and other animals. 



Mr. F. W. PUTNAM of Salem, calling attention to the fact that the 

 shellheaps probably belong to an earlier time than the stone period, 

 said he had paid some attention to the stone period. The stone relics 

 are similar in character even when found in different parts of the world ; 

 going to show that capacity is similarly developed everywhere. 



He exhibited several specimens which had been presented, in- 

 cluding a jasper spear head and a gouge from Mr. NOAH STORY of 

 Essex, and a stone war club from Mr. J. S. DODGE of Beverly, who 

 found it at Lynn. He described the instruments of the ancient Peru- 

 vians, and spoke of the way of indicating the uses of these various 

 relics, which is largely a matter of conjecture. A hint concerning the 

 uses of these implements is gained from examining those in use 

 among the South Sea Islanders. The Institute is trying to perfect 

 its collections of these curiosities and he appealed to the Essex 

 people to brlog out such specimens as they might have in their gar- 

 rets or out of the way places. Each specimen will be duly figured, 

 and labelled with the name of the donor. It is important to obtain 

 a large collection of these implements that we might if possible learn 

 from them concerning the migration of tribes. He concluded by call- 

 ing attention to "The American Naturalist," which has now about 

 two thousand subscribers, but must have one thousand more in order 

 to pay its expenses. 



Rev. EDWARD S. ATWOOD of Salem, in response to a call from the 

 chair addressed the meeting, giving some interesting facts about the 

 edition of the old bible which had been exhibited. This Genevan 

 book, though old, is not uncommon. The first two editions of the 



