1885.1 235 [Annual Meeting. 



information gained. As a rule, the ablest students have ac- 

 knowledged the benefit of the mode of work, and expressed great 

 satisfaction and gratitude after a short experience. 



Report of Edward Burgess, Secretary. 



Membership. 



The Society has lost during the past year five resident mem- 

 bers by death, eleven by resignation, while six others have for- 

 feited membership through non-payment of dues, and their names 

 have been erased from the roll. In the death of Dr. Samuel 

 Cabot we lose one of our oldest members. Doctor Cabot joined 

 the Society May 7, 1834, and died April 13, 1885, after a mem- 

 bership of nearly fifty-one years. He held various offices during 

 this long term and was a member of the present Council. The 

 museum and publications bear witness to the extent of his orni- 

 thological studies. 



The Society also loses by death one Corresponding Member, 

 Prof. Benj. Silliman and one Honorary Member, George Bentham 

 the botanist. 



Thirteen Associate and Corporate Members, two Corresponding 

 and three Honorary Members have been elected. 



Meetings. 



An editorial article in " Science" has recently lamented the 

 small attendance at the meetings of the scientific societies of this 

 neighborhood. With us the chief difficulty appears to be that of 

 providing, in advance, interesting subjects of discussion for every 

 meeting. If the call for a meeting includes no communication, or 

 if the latter happens to be concerning specialties of limited general 

 interest, the attendance is naturally very small, and yet the im- 

 promptu talks and discussions at such meetings often prove particu- 

 larly instructive and interesting. Of the regular sixteen meetings 

 for the past season, the calls for three did not announce papers ; the 

 result was that onty three or four members attended. The aver- 

 age attendance at the remaining thirteen was thirty persons ; the 

 largest attendance being one hundred and sixteen. Twenty-eight 



