68 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



The Society proceeded to vote, and upon collecting the ballots it was found that Prof. 

 Jeffries Wyman was unanimously elected President. With his usual modesty he hesitated 

 to accept the position tendered, doubting his ability to serve the Society satisfactorily as 

 President. This led to an emphatic expression of feeling on the part of the members in 

 favor of his accepting the office. He still hesitated, and finally begged the Society to give 

 him time for consideration, which was granted. 



At the next meeting, July 2d, Prof. Wyman announced his acceptance of the office of 

 President, and entered upon its duties. 



The first and the only excursion that the Society ever made as such, took place this year. 

 A committee was appointed to consider the subject of summer excursions, of which 

 Mr. Bouve was chairman. In behalf of the committee he reported in favor of the plan, 

 and proposed that the first one should be made to Hingham and the neighboring country. 

 It was voted to assemble on board the Hingham Steamboat at 9 A. M., on Wednesday, 

 July 23d, and it was understood that the Committee would make arrangements for proper 

 conveyances at Hingham when the company should arrive. 



Accordingly the Society met on board the boat at the time appointed. The day 

 was beautiful and everything conspired to make it an agreeable and instructive one 

 to the members. Upon landing at Hingham they were conveyed to Nantasket Beach 

 in carriages, stopping on the way to examine a colony of night herons in the woods, and 

 many trunks of submerged trees buried in salt water peat, which had become exposed by 

 excavations. This gave rise to much conversation upon the breaking away of the barrier 

 which had formerly kept the ocean back from this tract of land, and the consequent des- 

 truction of the forest. The next interesting locality was the site of an Indian cemetery 

 near Nastasket Beach. Here the President, who had previously with his brother and Mr. 

 Francis Boyd, had an opportunity of examining some of the graves, gave an account of 

 what had been found there, which was quite interesting. Mr. Boyd, who resided near, 

 invited the members to his house, where he showed them such relics as were in his pos- 

 session from the cemetery, and also regaled them with a generous entertainment. After 

 riding on the beach, the carriages were sent round to the Cohasset shore, and the mem- 

 bers, wandering along the margin of the sea and climbing over the rocks, collected such 

 specimens of shells, fish and marine plants as they met with, listening meanwhile to the 

 remarks of such as were conversant with the objects found. Dr. David P. Weiiiland par- 

 ticularly called attention to the ovaries of the whiting, in which were eggs in process of 

 embryonic development. 



Upon again resuming seats in the carriages, a pleasant drive along the ridge road fol- 

 lowed, with a stop to view the great trap dyke which there protrudes through the granite 

 rock. Here remarks were made upon the dyke and the enclosing rock, by Dr. Jackson, 

 Mr. Alger and Mr. Bouve. 



After a further very interesting drive, the company arrived at the house of Mr. Bouve 

 at about .3 P. M., where they examined his mineralogical cabinet, listening to some expla- 

 nations respecting the specimens, made by Dr. C. T. Jackson and himself 



Dinner followed ; this having been partaken of with much hilarity, the members sep- 

 arated, some going into the woods to collect specimens, while the larger portion assem- 

 bled under a grove near the house to listen to some scientific remarks upon what had been 

 seen during the morning, and other matters. This proved to be a very interesting gath- 



