Miscellanies. 371 



Three years since, an effort was made to establish a journal con- 

 taining papers upon Natural History read at the meetings of the soci- 

 ety ; and the first number was published. Its limited circulation ren- 

 dered it inexpedient that the society should be longer responsible, 

 and the expenses of the numbers published the two succeeding years, 

 were liberally met by two of our members. It gives us great pleas- 

 ure to add, that since the last annual meeting, a sufficient number of 

 subscribers have been procured to meet the expenses of a fourth^ 

 which is now in course of publication ; and that in future, our jour- 

 nal will appear more frequently. 



The committee of publication, confidently look to the members 

 generally, for countenance and support : they would use their utmost 

 endeavors to make their publication alike creditable to the society 

 and New England. While the societies of other cities in the Union 

 are continually adding something new to the treasures of natural sci- 

 ence, we should not be left in the course. 



Mortifying indeed it is, to look over the catalogue of the natural 

 history of our state, and not see a single bird, or fish, or reptile, or 

 moUusk, associated with the name of an acting member of this soci- 

 ety. By others, they have all been made known. Much hoioever 

 remains undone. Hundreds of our plants are unknown to natural- 

 ists : — the habits of many of our birds, and reptiles and fishes, are 

 imperfectly understood : the list of our Crustacea and Radiata re- 

 mains to be greatly enlarged ; of the 2300 insects catalogued in Pro- 

 fessor Hitchcock's report, more than 1100 are new; and by whom 

 can they be better described, than by the author of that catalogue? 



Disappointed in having no annual address, the gendeman who 

 drafted the report the last year, added much to its value, by making 

 an analysis of several of the written com.munications which had been 

 read at the regular meetings of the society. Although many of the 

 papers which have been presented since then, are of peculiar inter- 

 est, and to offer the substance of which, would be most grateful to 

 the feelings of your committee, he is reminded that by pursuing this 

 course at the present moment, the report would encroach upon his 

 time,* who is far belter able to interest and instruct you, than he 

 who has thus cursorily glanced at the progress of the society, since 

 our last annual meeting. 



* Rev. Hubbard Winslow — the anniversary orator. 



