1870.] 327 [Annual Report. 



tain a great museum; one such exists in our immediate 

 vicinity, and it is squandering our resources to attempt to 

 duplicate it ; neither, and for the same reason, should we 

 aim at making an industrial one ; but rather seek to main- 

 tain, first, a popular educational museum, in which all and 

 none but the characteristic forms of life and inorganic na- 

 ture shall be displayed, and in such various ways as Nature 

 herself employs ; and second, a complete local collection, re- 

 stricted at widest to our New England flora and fauna. The 

 first is rightly expected of us by our Patrons ; the second 

 both by them and by visitors from without our limits ; yet 

 to carry out such a plan it is imperative that more skilled 

 labor should be regularly employed, and a man of broad 

 scientific culture placed at the head of the museum with 

 its interests alone in charge ; otherwise the very multitude 

 of our Curators will become an evil and our best energies 

 be wasted. 



I trust these remarks will not seem misplaced or presump- 

 tuous. I could not refrain from speaking, as this may be my 

 last opportunity and the interests of the Society are most 

 dear to me. No one of my age has been connected so long 

 or so intimately with its Council, and to no one have such 

 weighty responsibilities been entrusted. I have endeavored, 

 to the best of my poor ability, to prove worthy of your confi- 

 dence, and faithfully to perform the duties to which you 

 have called me ; you are the judges in how far I have suc- 

 ceeded; and now that I am compelled to relinquish my 

 charge after a varied service of more than ten years, I would 

 bear glad testimony to the courtesy with which the difficulties 

 of my official position . have been smoothed, to the forbear- 

 ance of the officers toward my imperfect service, and to your 

 continued generous support. I should be false to myself if 

 I did not add my public recognition of the entire faithfulness 

 and thoroughness of the work of those who have been en- 

 gaged to assist me in the various departments of the Soci- 

 ety's operations ; and to particularize in this imperfect praise 



