86 



The Essex Institute having learned, with much interest, the mu- 

 nificent endowment for the formation and support of a Museum and 

 Professorship of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University, 

 by George Peabody, Esq., a native of this county, — Therefore be it 



Eesolved : — That the Institute gratefully recognize this direction 

 of Mr. Peabody's liberality, and tender their sincere thanks to him for 

 his confidence placed in this Institution by the appointment of Erancis 

 Peabody, Esq., one of the Trustees of this fund, and in designating 

 as his successors the future presidents of the Institute. 



Besolved : — That the Secretary be requested to communicate a 

 copy of these resolves to Mr. Peabody. 



John W. Perkins, J. P. Dabney, and Miss Ellen M. Dodge, of 

 Salem, and Andrew E. Story, of Beverly, were elected Resident Mem- 

 bers. 



Monday, November 19, 1866. Eegular meeting. 



Vice President Goodell in the chair. 



Letters received from the following : — The Royal Society, Lon- 

 don (Aug. 27) ; Smithsonian Institution, Washington (Oct. 8) ; Henry 

 Clark, Montpelier, Vt. (Nov. 6) ; G. M. Whipple, Salem (Nov. 8) ; 

 Philip & Solomons, Washington (Nov. 8) ; Bufiklo Historical Society 

 (Nov. 9) ; Charles P. Preston, Danvers (Nov. 12) ; J. Kimball, Sa- 

 lem; J. A. Allen, Springfield; S. Jillson, Feltonville (Nov. 13); Rev. 

 E. C. BoUes, Portland, Me. (Nov. 14) ; John H. Tayte, Salem ; R. D. 

 Wilkie, Boston (Nov. 15) ; W. J. Beal, Union Springs, N. Y. ; R. E. 

 C. Stearns, San Francisco, Cal. ; T. Mcllwraith, Hamilton, C. W. ; 

 John P. Abbott. Somerville; Grant, Warren & Co., Boston (Nov. 16) ; 

 James Gilmer, Boston ; W. H. Smith, Claremont, N. H. ; R. M. L. Poor, 

 Waltham (Nov. 17) ; Edwin Bicknell, Salem (Nov. 19). 



Mr. Edwin Bicknell made some remarks upon the subject of me- 

 teors, mentioning some of the principal ones that had been recorded 

 in history, and alluding to their relative size, composition, probable 

 origin, and the rate of speed with which they traverse the atmosphere. 

 A conversation then ensued upon this general subject, which was par- 

 ticipated in by Messrs. F. Peabody, E. S. Morse, A. Hyatt, Geo. D. 

 Phippen, Dr. Nathan R. Morse, and others. Dr. Morse, in the course 

 of his remarks, gave a brief account of the collection of meteorites in 

 the cabinet of Amherst college, the largest in the country, and said 

 to be one of the finest in the world. 



Mr. Edward S. Morse spoke of the importance of minutely examin- 

 ing the sandstone meteorites for traces of organic bodies. He did 

 not know but that this had already been done ; analysis had already 

 detected the presence of organic matter. One could readily appre- 

 ciate the profound importance which would be attached to the finding 

 of the minutest fragment of fossil shell or bone in these peculiar mete- 

 orites. A generalization of the widest scope would be opened by sucli 



