INTRODUCTION. 



Cn the evening of October 21, 1879, several gentlemen 

 met at the house of Dr. J. F. Frisbie in Newton, at his sug- 

 gestion, for the. purpose of organizing a society for the study 

 of natural history. On October 29 the Newton Natural His- 

 tory Society was formally organized at the house of the Rev. 

 G. W. Shinn. This society at once became -popular, and on 

 Feburary 26, 1883, was incorporated with si membership of 

 over one hundred. 



For a number of years the meetings of the society were 

 well attended, and many valuable papers were given before it 

 by specialists and scientists. Some of these papers were 

 printed, and in 1889-90 the society issued a monthly Bulletin 

 of its proceedings. 



For reasons which are difficult to understand, shortly af- 

 ter 1 892 public interest in the society gradually waned, and its 

 membership decreased, until finally the meetings were held at 

 wide and irregular intervals. Early in 1899 Mr. C. J. May* 

 nard proposed to organize a branch of the society in order to 

 render especial assistance to the teachers and pupils of New* 

 ton and neighboring towns, as well as others who had a lik- 

 ing for nature study. 



A well attended meeting was held at Mr. May nard 's labo- 

 ratory on May 6, 1899 and the Maynard Chapter of the New- 

 ton Natural History Society was organized. Fortnightly 

 meetings were held in the class room of the laboratory until 

 April 13, 1900, when the .chapter moved into a new lecture 

 room, 447 Crafts st., West Newton, which had been finished 

 and furnished through the efforts of the members; 



In the fall of 1900, upon the solicitation of members of 

 the chapter the collections of the original Society, gifts of its 

 members and others, were turned over to the chapter, a room 

 having been prepared for their reception. 



