409 



The Institute has been so fortunate as to receive a fine 

 collection of reptiles belonging to the South Carolina Region 

 from Dr. J. H. Mellichamp of that state. A similar col- 

 lection of great value has arrived from the "West Coast of Af- 

 rica by the favor of Mr. G. Chandler. A very beautiful se- 

 ries of fishes from the Sandwich Islands has also been re- 

 ceived from Prof. Agassiz and J. M. Barnard, Esq. 



The Chair exhibited specimens of the Joint weed (^Poly- 

 gonum articulatuni) which, as was stated to him, was found 

 growing very abundantly along the river bank. He thought 

 it a curious plant and quite a feature in the flora of Grove- 

 land. 



Geo. D. Phippen of Salem, remarked that this time of the 

 year was generally considered to be very productive of flow- 

 ers ; but still his success in finding them to-day had been 

 very poor. .He made a brief enumeration of the species, 

 which he had found and added some comparisons between 

 the flowers of the spring and those of autumn. 



S. P. Fowler of Danvers, observed that, wherever we ex- 

 amine the vegetation along a railroad track, we generally 

 find it to differ materially from that of ordinary ground. 

 Moreover such situations are choice places on which to look 

 for the commoner kinds of plants in fine condition. To-day 

 he had occasion to walk over the track from Bradford, and 

 it surprised him to see such variety and luxuriance in the 

 plants there growing. Of willows alone he had noted five 

 or six distinct kinds, and not far from the Merrimac Bridge , 

 lie had found the same Dwarf Birch which he first saw at 

 Andover and spoke of at the meeting there. Here it was 

 from six inches to a yard high. The Harebell is frequently 

 found in this locality. The last named plant he had per- 

 fectly succeeded in cultivating ; it grows very freely in the 

 garden and is loaded with flowers. 



ESSEX INST. PROCEED. VOL. ii. 52. 



