116 



it is a mere excrescence of the sheatli of the bill, and while in 

 birds it drops at once, soon after hatchino-j in turtles it is 

 gradually worn off. In both, however, birds and turtles, it 

 consists of the same flat epidermidal cells which compose also 

 the horny sheath of the bill. 

 Cambridge, Dec. 1856. 



Friday ^ February 13, 1857. 



Evening meeting at half past seven o'clock, the President 

 Daniel A. White in the chair. 



An amendment to the Constitution proposed at the quarterly 

 meeting in November last, was submitted to this meeting. The 

 records of the preceding meeting read. 



Donations to the Library were announced from Timothy 

 Davis, M. C, Wm. H. Prince, Oliver Carlton, E. M. Stone of 

 Providence, R. I., J. C. Holmes of Detroit, Mich. : L. A. H. 

 Letour of Montreal, C. E., H. W. S. Cleveland, H. M. 

 Brooks, M. A. Stickney. 



Donations to the Cabinets from W. T. Julio, E. P. Sargent, 

 Mrs. 0. Parsons. 



Letters lately received from C. M. Tracy of Lynn, and from 

 Wm. Beals, of Murphy, N. C, were read. 



A communication from the Proprietors of the Salem Ath- 

 enaeum, was presented to the meeting. It made proposals to 

 the Essex Institute regarding its occupancy of a portion of 

 Plummer Hall. 



After some discussion among the members on the above 

 subject, the following vote was adopted : 



Voted^ That a committee of five be appointed to consider 

 the propriety of accepting the proposals of the Proprietors of 

 the Salem Athenaeum ; ascertain the probable expenses inci- 

 dent thereon, and whether means can be procured to carry the 

 same into effect and to report at the evening meeting two 

 weeks hence. 



Messrs. W. S. Messervy, Geo. D. Phippen, B. F. Fabens, 

 James B. Curwen, S. E. Buttrick, were appointed on this 

 committee. 



B. F. Mudge read the following paper, exhibiting at the 

 same time some sketches and drawings of bowlders and other 



