702 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



WHAT TO DO. 



"June 10. I had a long talk to-day with the keeper of Union Square. 

 He told rnc the birds are more numerous this year than ever before, and he 

 has watched them carefully for years. He told me he had tried to have the 

 parks closed during their visitation, so that they should not be disturbed 

 by the people, especially by the children, but could not succeed. But one 

 wet Sunday that park was closed. The birds came in a g-reat flock, and 

 would come to the ground, and even on the benches after the creeping 

 worms. This was the most valuable testimony I have ever got on this 

 question. 



" Should these birds come just so another season, and the people or the 

 city government close the parks and fill them with poultry, and then jar 

 down faithfully, the worm pest could in a single year be placed at the 

 mercy of the Ichneumon fly." 



At the conclusion of the lecture, which lasted for nearly two hours, Prof. 

 Tillman remarked that the audience had been highly entertained and inter- 

 ested by Dr. Trimble. He had chosen a topic particularly attractive to 

 those living in cities, who have seen the havoc of the measure worm 

 among the trees of their squares and parks. The manner in which the 

 lecturer had commanded the attention of the audience, by giving extracts 

 from his diary made last year during his examinations in this and neigh- 

 boring cities, was novel and entirely successful. 



The beautiful colored pictures of insects, leaves and birds, prepared by 

 Mr. A. Hochstein, used, to illustrate the lecture, had added very materially 

 to a correct understanding of the subject, and the audience could say they 

 had all the experience of searching for the greatest enemies of our trees, 

 without the trouble cf disposing of them. He hoped the lecturer would 

 soon give to the public in a printed form the results of his researches, and 

 concluded by ofiering a resolution of thanks to the lecturer for his able ex- 

 position of his subject, with a request that a copy of the lecture be furnish- 

 ed for the Transactions of the Association, which was unanimously adopted. 



Mr. James Hogg, of Yorkville, exhibited ten new variegated leaved 

 plants from Japan, sent to him by his brother, Mr. Thomas Hogg, now ia 

 that country. 



Mr. Mead informed the audience that this was the first time these plants 

 had been seen in this country or Europe. 



Mr. Hogg stated that at some future meeting of the Association he would 

 exhibit other varieties of Japanese plants in bloom, and the curious methods 

 of grafting which these people adopt, and which is unknown to our nurse- 

 rj'men. Adjourned. John W. Chambers, Sec. 



March 7, 1865. 



Mr. Benjamin C. Townsend, the President of the Association in the chair. 



The Chairman introduced to the audience the Rev. Henry Ward Bcecher. 

 For nearly two hours this eloquent divine held the undivided attention of 

 his audience by a mastoi'ly exposition of the principles of Aesthetics. Un- 

 fortunately no report was madet)f this impromptu address. At its close Mr 



