1876.] 243 [BouvS. 



with the judgment of those with whom I have been closely associated 

 and whose opportunities have enabled them to see and to properly 

 estimate what, with the kindly support and hearty co-operation of 

 others, I have been able to accomplish for the benefit of the Society. 

 I now propose to give some reasons why I felt not only willing but 

 glad to assume the duties of the office of President, notwithstanding 

 the misgivings before referred to, and why, too, I now as willingly 

 and as gladly resign the position, and ask to be freed from its duties 

 and its responsibilities. Before doing this, however, I will -briefly 

 review my connection with the Society, both because in my experi- 

 ence some reasons may be found for my action, and because some 

 reminiscences of earlier days in the history of the Society may not 

 be uninteresting to you. 



I first became a member of the Society in 1834. At that time Dr. 

 Benj. D. Greene was President of the Society, and among the active 

 members whom I call to mind, that is (those who generally attended 

 the meetings and took part in the proceedings), were Dr. Augustus A. 

 Gould, Mr. Geo. B. Emerson, Dr. D. Humphreys Storer, Dr. Martin 

 Gay, Dr. Amos Binney, Dr. Chas. T. Jackson, Dr. J. B. S. Jackson,. 

 Mr. Chas. K. Dillaway, Mr. Epes S. Dixwell, Dr. Walter Channing, 

 Dr. A. A. Hayes, Dr. Jeffries Wyman, Mr. Thos. Bulfinch, Mr. Thos. 

 A. Greene, Mr. C. C. Emerson, Dr. Samuel Cabot, Mr. Francis Al- 

 ger, Mr. J. E. Teschemacher and myself. The meetings were held 

 as now, twice each month, but always in the afternoon. 



Dr. Gould was, perhaps, our best general naturalist, his acquaint- 

 ance with the Invertebrata of our Coast being recognized as superior 

 to that of any other observer; and he was a very good botanist. Of 

 all the departments of natural history he knew something, and was 

 interested in all. Dr. C. T. Jackson, Mr. Alger, Dr. Hayes and 

 Mr. Teschemacher were mineralogists, and of these Dr. Jackson and 

 Dr. Hayes were also good chemists. Dr. Jackson was likewise a 

 geologist, but his knowledge of this science did not embrace much 

 acquaintance with fossil remains. In truth, there was but little 

 palaeontological knowledge among us, and it is now almost ludicrous 

 to recall the proceedings of those days when some unknown fossils 

 were presented to the Society. The first object was to get, if possi- 

 ble, some clue to their character. To accomplish this the fossils 

 in question were referred to some willing member, and as there 

 was not great pre-eminence of knowledge on the part of any one re- 

 specting them, it made but little difference who was selected. I recol- 

 lect well the instance of a series of the smaller forms of fossil corals 



