1874.] 211 [Emerson. 



Society, we have the privilege of looking to one whose valua- 

 ble services to it in its earlier days we have not forgotten, 

 and who was one of the first among scientific men to wel- 

 come to our shores and our companionship the great natural- 

 ist. I need not say I refer to our former President, Mr. 

 George B. Emerson, whom I now have the pleasure to intro- 

 duce to you. 



ADDRESS OF MR. EMERSON. 



I thank you, Mr. President, for the great honor you do me 

 by inviting me to say something before, and in behalf of, your 

 Society, in commemoration of the most distinguished natural- 

 ist that has appeared among us. You know how reluctantly 

 I consented to speak, and I feel how inadequately I shall be 

 able to represent the Society. Yet I cannot but admit that 

 there is some apparent propriety in your request. I was one 

 of those who formed this Society. All the others who first 

 met, except one, are gone ; Dr. B. D. Greene, Dr. J. Ware, F. 

 C. Gray and the rest. My old friend, Dr. Walter Channing, 

 alone, in whose office most of the first meetings were held, 

 is still living. Moreover, while I was in the seat you now oc- 

 cupy, it was agreed by my associates that it was very proper 

 and desirable that a Survey of the State, Botanical and Zoo- 

 logical, should be made, to complete that begun by Prof. 

 Hitchcock in Geology. At their request I presented to Gov. 

 Everett a memorial suggesting this. 



Our suggestion was graciously received. Gov. Everett 

 brought the subject before the Legislature, in which some 

 friends of Natural History in the House of Representatives 

 had already been acting toward the same end ; an appropria- 

 tion was made, and he was authorized to appoint a commis- 



