16 



COLE, a graduate of Harvard of the class of 1708 ; for many years a 

 resident of Salem; a distinguished teacher, a ripe and elegant 

 scholar; and, in the later years of his life, a distinguished micro- 

 scopist. His decease occurred on the 24th of June, 1852. ANDKEW 

 NICHOLS, a valued Physician ; one of the founders of the Essex 

 County Natural History Society ; its president from the period of 

 its organization until the annual meeting in June 1845, at which 

 time he resigned the office. Born in the rural part of Danvers, 

 where nature was unusually attractive to its admirers, he early im- 

 bibed a taste for the study and investigation of its works. He was 

 particularly conversant with the geological formations, and with 

 the wild flowers and trees of his neighborhood, many of which he 

 was the first to recognize and publish to the world, through his friend 

 Dr. Jacob Bigelow, in the "Florula Bostoniensis." He died on the 

 thirty-first of March, 1853. 



In consequence of the accession of several young and enthusias- 

 tic members, these meetings were again renewed in the summer of 

 1856, and have been continued since that time with great success 

 and an increasing interest. Usually six are held each season in dif- 

 ferent places in the county, as circumstances may decide. Thus far 

 meetings have been held in twenty-seven of the thirty-four towns be- 

 longing to the county, and in thirty-five different localities. The 

 forenoon is devoted to rambling in the woods and fields, or on the 

 beach, in quest of Nature's treasures or visiting some old historic 

 or antiquarian relic. In the afternoon the attendants assemble in 

 some church, town-hall, or schoolhouse, and after a collation dis- 

 cuss the subjects presented to notice during the day. The public 

 are invited to be present and to participate on these occasions ; and 

 these meetings are now very popular and largely attended. 



The first evening meeting took place on Thursday, Dec. 11, 1851. 

 They have since been continued during the wintry months and have 

 been fully attended by members and their friends. 



LECTURES. 



Two courses of Miscellaneous lectures on the Natural Sciences 

 have been given by the Society. 



One, of six lectures, during the Spring of 1863, by Professors 

 Agassiz, S. Tenney, J. P. Cooke, W. B. Rogers, and Messrs. C. M. 

 Tracy, and F. W. Putnam. The other, a course of ten lectures, during 

 the winter of 1863 and 1864, by Dr. C. T. Jackson, Professor B. 

 Peirce, President Hill of Harvard University, and Messrs. C. W. 

 Tuttle, Cleveland Abbe, N. E. Atwood. Alpheus Hyatt, C. M. Tracy, 

 and A. E. Verrill. 



