55 



Wednesday, December 14, 1853. 

 An ordinary meeting of the Institute held this day. Henry 

 F. King presiding. ]\Iembers elected. Prof. Joseph Torrey, 

 of Burlington College, Vermont, (formerly of this city,) was 

 on nomination, elected a Corresponding Member. 



Thursday^ December 22, 1853. 



Evening Meeting. Hon, D. A. White, President, in the 

 chair. 



After the reading of the records of the preceeding meeting 

 and the announcing of donations lately received, Samuel P. 

 Fowler, of Danvers, offered some remarks upon the importance 

 of having the Natural History of this County investigated ; and 

 suggested that this subject be referred to committees to make 

 the necessary arrangements. 



John Lewis Russell followed Mr Fowler in showing how far 

 the work had progressed already, alluding to the earlier labors 

 of Rev. Manassah Cutler, of Hamilton, as detailed in the first 

 volume of the Memoirs of the American Academy, published 

 in 1785. This he considered a great begining at so early a 

 period, especially under all the disadvantages of Avant of books, 

 herbaria and other facilities now at hand. This paper Mr. R. 

 showed, exhibited some curious facts in the change of ideas 

 respecting the nomenclature of plants, and marked a degree 

 of fidelity and acumen scarcely expected under such means. 

 Mr. R. regreted that the archives of the Essex Institute were 

 in possession of no manuscript of the Rev. Dr., and referred to 

 a few volumes, the fragments of his library, which ought to be 

 regarded as treasures of great value, as belonging to one of the 

 earliest botanists and naturalists, of Essex County. 



The labours of William Oakes, of Ipswich, would be in 

 themselves, monuments of patience, skill and acumen of research, 



