6 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



At a meeting held January 14th it appears that much dissatisfaction was expressed at 

 the name of the Society, and it was therefore voted that each member should propose in 

 writing at the next meeting such name as he judged the most suitable. When the Society 

 again met, on the 21st of January, 1815, the members, after due consideration, unani- 

 mously 



Voted, That the Society shall be called the Linnaean Society of New England. 



To understand the spirit and do justice to the labors of the active members of this 

 Society, let us look a little into their proceedings of the first year. February 4th it was 

 voted that each member shall, if possible, prepare some animal in the course of the week 

 and present it to the Society at the next meeting. In the record of a following meeting 

 it is stated that a considerable number of animals were presented to the Society, all of 

 which had been prepared by the members in the course of the week. Whether these 

 animals were of the dimensions of elephants or mice is not stated. At the same 

 meeting the Recording Secretary was requested to draw up some popular directions 

 for the preservation of specimens in Natural History, to be given to masters of 

 vessels and others, and to report at the next meeting; and at the next meeting a 

 circular letter was presented containing such directions. This was ordered to be 

 printed. 



The subjects brought before the members did not always pertain to natural history. At 

 a meeting on March 4th a paper by the Hon. John Lowell was read, " On the resemblance 

 between certain customs of the modern Italians and ancient Eomans." It was voted to 

 copy it into the common place book of the Society. 



Besides the weekly meeting it was decided to hold once a quarter a general meeting, to 

 which should be invited the Honorary, Corresponding and Associate Members, and at each 

 such quarterly meeting a paper by some person appointed at the preceding meeting 

 should be read on some subject connected with the pursuits of the Society. The first of 

 these quarterly meetings was held on the 21st of Jime, and Judge Davis delivered what 

 the record of that date states to have been " an elegant address on the advantages of 

 natural history and the objects of the institution." 



At the regular meeting held a few days afterwards. Dr. Randall, as the text expresses 

 it, was unanimously chosen to perform at the -next quarterly meeting. It was also voted 

 that on the next Wednesday, the 28th of June, the day appointed by the Constitution for 

 the Annual Meeting, the Society should dine together at Richards' in Brookline. In 

 accordance with this vote, the Immediate Members met at Brookline and after trans- 

 acting the business of electing ofiicers for the year, they dined together, the record states, 

 in company with the Hon. John Lowell and Hon. Josiah Quincy. This combination of 

 scientific pursuits with feasting is not mentioned as a peculiarity of the members of this 

 pioneer society, and even in later days it has not been found disagreeable or unprofitable. 

 In some degree these Annual Meetings partook of the character of what has been more 

 recently called in some of our societies "Field Days", for they were held at some selected 

 place in the country, and a portion of the day was employed in obtaining specimens. 

 Thus, at the first meeting, it is mentioned that " after dinner the members divided them- 

 selves into several parties for the purpose of making an excursion in search of specimens 



