383 



could hardly fail to be of great and lasting use to some, if 

 not to all. 



Every township has its own special style of productions 

 and facts ; and the earnest desire of the Institute is to pos- 

 sess itself of all these things in detail for the general benefit. 

 A humble inhabitant of a quiet town like Middleton may 

 think the common things about his field of no consequence 

 to anybody, but not so ; they may be the choice desiderata — 

 the missing links — in a chain of important but uncompleted 

 evidence, and the very things most desired by the earnest 

 student. Let every one preserve such specimens as come 

 in his way and give the Institute the benefit and use of 

 them. Let every great man and every little m.an feel him- 

 self as the fully authorized and accredited agent of the In- 

 stitute for the collection of all Nature's treasures, and sure 

 of their sincere gratitude for every contribution of the kind, 

 however trifling it might appear. 



Dr. E. H. Wheatland made some remarks on a number 

 of specimens of rare fishes collected by him, some of which 

 belonged to the family ot the Etheostomoids. He also spoke 

 at some length on the habits and characters of this family, 

 lately investigated by Agassiz. He further alluded to the 

 two species of Pickerel found among us ; also to a specimen 

 of the "Wood Tortoise (^Emys inscidpta) taken during the 

 day and seeming to be one of the rarest in this region. He 

 took further occasion to eiiforce the request of the Chair for 

 specimens of all our native animals, and added some di- 

 rections as to their preservation. 



C. M. Tracy of Lynn, occupied a short time in observa- 

 tions on the botanical specimens gathered during the excur- 

 sion. A few of the rarest were as follows : 



The HoundstongTie or Tory Weed — Cynoglossum offici- 

 nale , found near the old Mill-site. 



