59 



designed as the present abode of Man. Wlmt relations has 

 tliis Life with him as a Race ? How does it affect the Race 

 as a whole ; and in particular, how does it bear upon tis as a 

 part of the great family of man 7 What does our country, our 

 portion of the world demand of us and what prospective history 

 does it foretell? The probable answers to these inquiries is 

 the problem for us to elaborate. 



Thursday^ January 19, 1854. 



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

 chair. Record of preceding meeting was read. Donations to 

 Cabinets and Library announced. 



The account of the destruction of the Portland Natural 

 History Society's collections by the burning of the Custom 

 House, in a room of which building they were deposited, was 

 read to the meeting. 



G. A. Perkins introduced the following Resolutions : 



Whereas, the late disasterous fire in Portland, Me., has 

 destroyed the fine and valuable collection of our sister institu- 

 tion, the Portland Natural History Society. 



Resolved, That the Secretary be directed to express our 

 sympathy with them in their calamity. 



Resolved, That the Curators be directed to aid their eiforts 

 to replace their loss, by the contributions of such duplicate 

 specimens as we may have to spare from our collections. 



J. L. Russell, on seconding the above resolutions, offered a 

 few remarks upon the efficiency of the Portland N. H. Society, 

 and the progress it had made in promoting a taste for natural 

 science. 



The resolutions were unanimously adopted. 



The ensuing hour was then occupied by Mr. R. in a continu- 

 ation of his lectures on Entomology, presenting for his subject 



