398 



Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C. ; AVilliani R. 

 L. Ward, of New York. 



To the Cabinets — from Eliot F. Smith of Keokuk, Iowa ; 

 B. Stone ; B. F. Madge of Lynn ; S. M. Newhall of Saugiis ; 

 B. W. Stone ; John N. Martin ; H. J. Pratt ; H. F. King ; 

 Stephen Cloutman ; John M. Ives ; Charles A. Putnam ; 

 Miss Martha G. Wheatland ; Richard H. Wheatland ; C. 

 Cooke ; James B. BosAvell ; Miss H. P. French ; Robert 

 W. Bemis of Chicopee ; Miss E. Gardner ; James Oliver of 

 Lynn; S.Tucker; Charles H. Price. 



Letters were read from the following : — Department of 

 the Interior, Washington ; Massachusetts Historical Society ; 

 New-England Historic Genealogical Society ; American An- 

 tiquarian Society ; Peabody Institute, South Danvers ; 

 Trustees of Public Library, Newburyport ; Trustees of Public 

 Library, Boston ; Maine Historical Society ; Connecticut 

 Historical Society ; Trustees ^ of New York State Library ; 

 William Brown; William Prescott of Concord, N.H.; Ab- 

 bott Walker ; B. W. Stone. 



The Chair gave some account of his visit with others, to 

 the " Den " before mentioned. He stated that a few Cryp- 

 togamous plants were found there, and gave some statements 

 in regard to them. He also found the Bushy Seed-box 

 (^Ludivigia alter nifolicC) by the roadside on his way. 



B. F. Mudge of Lynn, in default of any geological ob- 

 servations of value, had collected a variety of specimens of 

 our common fresh water clam or mussel (Unio complanatus), 

 on which he gave a brief discourse. This is the shell which, 

 in rare cases aifords that highly prized thing, a real pearl. 

 This production is not a natural regular result of the growth 

 and habit of the creature, but something irregular a mere 

 excrescence, or secretion of calcareous matter due to some 

 accidental cause, within the shell, or in the tissues of the 



