25 



On motion it was then voted; that Messrs. Rantoul, Putnam and Wheat- 

 land, be a committee to take into consideration the donations of the President, 

 and Capts. Putnam and Hammond, and present such acknowledgments as 

 may be deemed proper. 



Mr. R. S. Rantoul, in behalf of the Committee on the Literary Exercis- 

 es of the May-day Social Meeting, after appropriate remarks presented the 

 following resolution : — 



Resolved: — That the thanks of the Essex Institute be conveyed to Drs. 

 Holmes and Wilder, and Messrs. Bicknell and Sanborn, of Boston, for the 

 honor and pleasure eonfered by their presence with us on the evening of the 

 first of May, and for tlie interest manifested in the occasion, by their several 

 contributions of instruments of rare value and power to the collection of 

 microscopes then exhibited. 



The Resolution was adopted iinanimously, and it was then voted that cop- 

 ies of the same be sent to the several gentlemen therein named. 



Messrs. Rantoul, Upham and Putnam were elected a committee to nom- 

 inate officers for election, at the annual meeting, on Wednesday next. 



Samuel Hutchinson, of Salem, was elected a Resident Member. 



Wednesday, Mat 9, 1866, Annual Meeting. 

 Vice President Fowlbk in the Chair. 



Records of the last Annual and Regular meetings were read. 



The annual reports of several of the officers were read. 



The Secebtart stated that the occurrence of the annual meeting calls 

 upon the various officers and committees to review the doings of the year, 

 and to present an abstract of the results of their operations. 



The Society is in a good condition. The receipts from the assessments of 

 Resident Members, the sale of publications, and all other sources were larg- 

 er than during any previous year, yet, at the same time, the expenditures have 

 been large in conseqvience of the increased activity of the Society and the 

 high prices of all articles of consumption. A donation of one thousand dol- 

 lars from a native of Salem, received in October last, was a most opportune 

 contribution to the treasury. 



Fifty Resident, and thirty-five Corresponding members have been elected 

 during the year. Notice of the death of seven of the former and of four of 

 the latter have been received. The jiresent number of members is 696 ; con- 

 , sisting of 529 resident, and 167 corresponding. 



Biographical notices of the following deceased associates will be prepared 

 for the Historical Collections. James B. King, died at Salem, May 25, 1865. 

 Charles F. Williams, died at Salem, June 4, 1865. Stillman Barden, died 

 at Rockport, Aug. 7, 1865. Henry Coggswell, died at Salem, Dec. 12, 1865. 

 Harriet C. Neal, died at Salem, Dec. 16, 1865. Henry S. Luflcin, died at 

 Lynn, Jan'y, 1866. Nathaniel Brown, died at Salem, April 27, 1866. Isra- 



PROCEEDINGS ESSEX INST. VOL. V. 4. MAT, 1866. 



