Bouv<*.] 244 [March 15, 



being presented to the Society, and the interest excited thereby. One 

 of our number, distinguished for his classical culture and excellent 

 literary taste, was appointed to elucidate their character and enlighten 

 our minds respecting them. When I mention that Parkinson's "Organic 

 Remains of a Former' World" was our principle source of palaeontolog- 

 ical knowledge, and that this was a work not owned by the Society, 

 you may judge of the task imposed on one who certainly claimed no 

 knowledge of fossils, however eminent he might be in Greek and 

 Latin lore, in asking from him a report upon their character. For- 

 tunately a recent article in the Am. Journal of Science, by Hildreth, 

 enabled our classical brother to present quite an instructive report 

 upon the forms referred to him. 



From this some idea may be formed not only of our lack of knowl- 

 edge in this department, but of our lack of means to obtain it. 

 Everything except the will to learn, was wanting — books, teachers 

 and collections, from all of which we now derive so much help. 



One effect of our want of experience was the placing of specimens, 

 sent to us from abroad, in drawers without proper regard to the im- 

 portance of attaching to them any labels that had accompanied 

 them, and the consequent mixing together of every thing we re- 

 ceived, which led eventually to a considerable portion becoming scien- 

 tifically worthless for lack of proper identification. Much that I have 

 said of the want of knowledge and experience respecting palseontolog- 

 ical specimens, might be said as well of those of other departments; or 

 we should not have suffered one of the most valuable entomological 

 collections in the United States to be utterly destroyed under our 

 eyes by Anthreni, and the only fine specimen of a cougar ever 

 received by us, and now much wanted for our New England col- 

 lection, to be scattered to dust by moths. I speak more particularly 

 of the pala-ontological collection because it is one with which I sub- 

 sequently had the most to do. 



At the time to which I refer, the Society occupied a large room in 

 Tremont Street, over the Savings Bank, and as the building stood 

 next north of the King's Chapel burying ground, the whole south 

 side received light and made our room a very desirable one for 

 the exhibition of our collection. We entered the room, which was 

 lono - and narrow, by an end door next to Tremont Street, and at the 

 farther part from the entrance, i. e., at the east end, was placed a 

 table about which we gathered at our meetings, a number of settees 

 beinc there placed for our accommodation. 



