144 



Friday^ November 23, 1855. 



Evening Meeting. Rev. John L. Russell, Vice President, in 

 the chair. Record and list of donations read. 



A sketch of the history and objects as well as present con- 

 dition of the Institute, was read by the Secretary ; this togeth- 

 er with the Constitution, Bye-Laws, list of members, &c. &c., 

 was directed to be printed in a separate pamphlet form for dis- 

 tribution. 



A provisional arrangement for the better conducting of the 

 evening meetings, to render them more effective, being offered 

 by Dr. George B. Loring, from a Committee appointed for the 

 purpose, his Report was accepted and the plan adopted. 



F. W. Putnam, offered the first of a series of papers on the 

 Pishes of Essex County. This series will appear from time to 

 time, as contributed to the Natural History of our County, 

 and as preparatory through these pages, of a list of such 

 species as has come under his personal knowledge or to which 

 reliable credit can be attributed. It will be prepared after the 

 classification used by Dr. Storer, in his work on the " Fishes 

 of Massachusetts," now in course of publication under the 

 auspices of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and 

 in their Memoirs, Vol. V. page 49 et seq. 



CLASS. BONY FISHES. 



ORDER. SPINE-RAYED. 

 PAMILT. PERCID^. 



1 Perca flavescens. American Yellow Perch. . . . Cabinet. 



Ponds of the County. 



2 Labrax lineatus. Striped Bass. Rock-fish. . . Cabinet. 



Harbors of the County. 



3 Labrax rufus. Ruddy Bass. White Perch. . . Cabinet. 



Ponds of the County, and occasionally in salt water. 



4 Centropristes varius. Black Bass. Black Sea-Bass. Cab. 



One specimen caught in Salem Harbor, May 22, 1855. 

 Dr. Storer mentions one taken at Nahant, July 1, 1846. 



5 Pomotis vulgaris. Pond-fish. Pumpkin-seeds. Sun- 



fish. Flat-fish. Ruff. Bream. . . . Cabinet 

 Ponds of the County. 



