335 



Pomotis at Lynnficld woods; and a species of stickleback wliicls 

 may be the ( Gasterosteus occidentalism of Cuvier or a new 

 species. The differences in tlie two species of Pickerel found 

 in the county were pointed out, supposed to be the young 

 and the adult of the same. He repeated his request that 

 persons, in the way of obtaining specimens of our common 

 fishes, would contribute the same to the Institute so that the 

 collection of the county fishes may be as complete as 

 profitable. 



The Secretary, Dr. Henry Wheatland, mentioned that a?s 

 the Rev. John L. Russell was about to commence his course 

 of lectures on Botany to a class occupying the rooms of the 

 Essex Institute, it might seem appropriate to refer to a simi- 

 lar course given in Salem, in May 1816 by Dr. AndrcAV 

 Nichols at that time member of the New England Linnasan 

 Society, and subsequently, on the formation of the Essex 

 County Natural History Society, its first President. A well 

 preserved and perfect copy of a hand bill was then shown, 

 which had been presented to the Library of the Essex Insti- 

 tute by Mr. Amos Trask, a collector of old and rare matters. 

 The place for the leciures Avas " Concert Hall," the price of 

 tickets for the course of 12 lectures was 15.00 for a gentle- 

 man or lady ; for a gentleman and lady or two of the same 

 family f 8.00. These lectures were also duly announced b}- 

 editorials and advertisements in the Salem Gazette of that 

 year. Some accounts of the success of the lecturer and of 

 the matter can be seen by consulting the issues of May 14 ; 

 May 17 ; May 28; and June 4. Dr. Nichols' treatment of 

 the course was into systematical and physiological botany ; 

 Mr. Russell proposes to exhibit the development of plants 

 from the simple cell formation and cellular plants to the 

 most highly elaborated, in other words, the development of 

 the plant. 



Mr. S. P. Fowler in a supplementary observation to his 

 views on ornithology this evening, alluded to crows resorting 



