172 



W. L. Dwight, Portsmouth, IST. H. (Aug. 16) ; J. F. Fellows, Collec- 

 tor's Office, Boston (Aug. 2) ; Prof. Asa Gray, Columbus, Ohio (Aug. 

 1) ; Warren Humiston, Otter Creek, 111. (Aug. 10) ; John Krider, Phil- 

 adelphia, Pa. (Aug. 21) ; Prof. Daniel Merriman, Andover (Aug. 2) 

 Dr. Usher Parsons, Providence, K. I. (Aug. 14) ; Peabody Institute 

 South Danvers (Aug. 3) ; Pennsylvania Historical Society, Philadel- 

 phia, Pa. (Aug. 5) ; Portland Society of Natural History (Aug. 6) 

 P. W. Putnam, Bethel, Me. (Aug. 14) ; Moses W. Putnam, Haverhill 

 (Aug. 10) ; Ehode Island Historical Society, Providence (Aug. 5) 

 E. A. Samuels, Boston (Aug. 21) ; Prof. D. S. Sheldon, Davenport 

 Iowa (Aug. 21) ; G. W. Smith, Grand Rapids, Mich. (Aug. 2) ; M. A^ 

 Stickney, Danvers (July 23) ; Prof. H. C. Wood, jr., Philadelphia, Pa 

 (Aug. 20) ; Corporation of Yale College, New Haven, Ct. (Aug. 7) 

 York Institute, Saco, Me. (Aug. 6). 



Mr. Cyrus M. Tracy, of Lynn, was called up to discourse on the bo- 

 tanical specimens. In an easy and natural method he turned from one 

 specimen to another, pointing out its peculiarities and where it 

 differed from specimens from the same species found in Essex county. 

 He had never been in this region before, but he was struck with the 

 variations in the flora. The flowering raspberry is sometimes found 

 in gardens in Essex country, wliere it is cultivated for its flowers, but 

 thei'e it never bears fruit. Here he finds it growing wild with fruit 

 matured, of which specimens were before him. The larch was a ti'ee 

 just creeping into the region of Lynn, but here the thickets were full 

 of it, and further to the east the trees were large. The beech is a 

 tree of comparative rarity in Essex county, where it seldom ripens its 

 fruit. Here was a specimen with the fruit well filled. He then took 

 up the flowering plants of the season, that were substantially the 

 same, the golden rod, with its varieties, hog peanut, leafy spurge, 

 everlastings, rattlesnake weeds, and thistles. A splendid cultivated 

 specimen of the latter, with vai-iegated leaf, was shown, but a full 

 statement of its botanical history was not given. Mr. Tracy's method 

 of talking about plants is so pleasant and his matter so instructive, 

 that one could not help wishing that our lyceums would avail them- 

 selves of his instruction instead of tlie wish-wash they take from 

 many professional lecturers. 



Mr. E. W. Putnam spoke of several specimens that had been col- 

 lected during the morning, and especially of the Checkered. Adder, 

 which he stated to be perfectly harmless, and showed how it differed 

 from the Rattlesnake and the Copper-head, the only poisonous snakes 

 in New England. He then explained the peculiar structure and form- 

 ation of the egg-case of the Skate, and gave an account of the devel- 

 opment of this fish. 



Dr. Elliott Coues, of the United States Ai'my, was called upon, and 

 took for his theme the genus homo, or that part of it which is native 

 to Arizona Territory, the Apache Indian. The Dr. gave a very unfavor- 



