219 



and that his donation of Books be aceei)tcd on the condi- 

 tions contained in said letter. 



Voted, That the cordial thanks of the Essex Institnte lie 

 presented to Hon. Daniel Appleton White, for his well timed 

 and valuable donation of books, this day accepted. 



The Field meeting of the Institute was then duly dis- 

 cussed by an introductory observation from the Chair, who 

 alluded to the previous one held in this town on July 18, of 

 last summer, remarkable for its intense heat and the per- 

 severance in pursuit of the Magnolia flowers, yet lingering 

 here and there in native haunts. He congratulated himself 

 and the party on the presence of Dr. D. F. AYeinland, from 

 Germany, who at present was attending the Scientific School 

 in Cambridge and who afforded him much interesting infor- 

 mation on the ferns and plants of Europe, in comparing 

 our own ferns with those he Avas more familiar Avith abroad. 

 It afforded him much delight to point out the species of lich- 

 ens and hepatics as they grew on the trunks of the forest 

 trees, and to be assured that they would be prized and valued 

 abroad as veritable species gathered to day by those inter- 

 ested in diffusing a general taste for such pursuits as led 

 to estimate correctly every object in Nature. 



Some pieces of Coral having been presented, B. F. Mudge 

 occupied some time in the natural history of the " Coral 

 insects " so called, describing the nature of the Zoophyte the 

 habits of its existence, the formation of the corallium, its 

 economy in geological conditions, in the formation of islands 

 and reefs and other interesting matters connected with the 

 general subject. At the request of Mr. Mudge, Dr. D. F. 

 AVeinland spoke in continuation of the same topic, illustra- 

 ting his views by the use of the blackboard. Dr. W. had 

 lately returned from a voyage to the West Indies whither he 

 had been for the express purpose of studying the living 

 Corals in situ. The lectures of these gentlemen were listened 

 to with marked attention. 



