BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 121 



Mr. Bulfinch devoted much time to social intercourse among a circle of friends who 

 highly appreciated his worth. Modest he was, but not morose, for a more genial and gen- 

 erous nature could not be found. Keenly sensitive to the gentle sympathies of life, he 

 truly lived in his affections, and never was he weary of extending kindness, not only to 

 companions and friends who valued his friendship, but to the needy and tried, young or 

 old, whoever they might be. 



Much more might be said of Mr. Bulfinch, but it is not needed. His excellences were 

 familiar to all. His quiet and respectful manner, his gentlemanly consideration, his 

 conscientious fidelity, his love of learning, his Christian trust and faith ; these were an 

 indispensable part of himself. 



Members of the Society and other visitors to the Library will recall with pleasure, not 

 unmixed with sadness, a very agreeable young lady of great excellence who at this period 

 and for several years was an assistant in the Library. Her beauty of person, her vivacity, 

 her pleasing address and manners, combined with her intelligence and readiness to meet all 

 the requirements of her position, made her a general favorite. She was the daughter of 

 the Rev. Mr. Blaikie, a Presbyterian clergyman of the city. She left the service of the 

 Society because of her marriage, and soon after died, to the great grief of all who had been 

 associated with her. 



It was quite apparent before the close of this year that further assistance than what had 

 hitherto been employed was required in the Museum, if the collections were to be pre- 

 served from ruin. It was therefore voted in CouncU to employ Mr. P. G. Sanborn as 

 assistant in the Museum from the 1st of January, to act under the direction of the Cus- 

 todian. 



Two courses of lectures were authorized by the Society for the winter of 1867-8. 

 One given by Edward S. Morse, consisting of six on the natural history of the mollusca, 

 or shell fish, on Saturday afternoons, commenced Dec. 7th, and continued weekly. The 

 other by Horace Mann, consisting of eight, on structural botany, commenced March 7th. 

 The lecturers were paid $25 for each lecture, and an admission fee of $1 for the course 

 was charged those who attended. The cost of giving these lectures exceeded the amount 

 received from the sale of tickets, $114.37. 



1868. From the Report of the Custodian, made at the annual meeting in May, we 

 learn how much had been done during the year towards preparing unfinished portions of 

 the builciing for use. Besides the lecture room, in which for the first time the annual 

 meeting was held, the rear library room had been furnished for use and was now occupied, 

 two exhibition rooms fitted up, and new cases built for several of the departments. A 

 printing office had been prepared in the basement, and the Janitor's apartments remod- 

 elled. 



There had been twenty general meetings of the Society, seven of the Section of Micro- 

 scopy, and nine of that of Entomology. The average attendance at the general meet- 

 ings was about forty, and at each of the sections about nine. 



There had been eighty-six communications made, of which fifty-six were at the general 

 meetings of the Society, the others being at meetings of the Sections. One Honorary, 

 two Corresponding, and forty Resident Members had been elected. 



