Annual Report.] 310 [May 4, 



Whitney, W. F. Tlie structure of the hairs of Tillandsia usneoi- 

 des. April 13, 1870. 



Wyman, Dr. J. Discovery of a true crocodile in Florida. May 

 19, 1869. 

 On the brain of Didelphys virginiana. October 6, 1869. 



This number is much smaller than that of the two previous 

 years, and indicates, to a certain extent, what all have no- 

 ticed, a lamentable decline in the interest of our meetings. 

 We lack, just here, organized effort ; let the evening sessions 

 be placed in the charge of one or more persons who shall see 

 that each meeting is ably sustained, throw open our doors to 

 all who wish to come, announce, if you will, the subjects to 

 be treated (as is always done in England), and the increase 

 of attendance and of varied discussion will act with such 

 mutual force that no more complaint will be possible. 



Some have thought that the want of interest in our meet- 

 ings was chargeable to those who have devoted themselves 

 to pure science ; that since their number has increased a feel- 

 ing has arisen that only that which is new should be brought 

 to the attention of the meetings. Yet I think two things 

 will be found to be true: that our scientific quite as fre- 

 quently as our non-scientific men speak of subjects which are 

 not novel ; and that were the interest of novelty taken from 

 the record of those earlier days which we are told to look 

 back upon with regret, we should find comparatively little left. 



One Honorary, three Corresponding and thirty nine Resi- 

 dent Members have been elected. Of the resident members 

 fourteen have not complied with all the requirements of the 

 Constitution, and their names are not yet placed on our rolls. 



Two courses of evening lectures, each twelve in number, 

 have been given during the winter. The first — ^Sketches 

 of Animal Life, by Mr. Edward S. Morse — was attended by 

 an average audience of seventy six persons. The second — 



