containing nearly all the minerals, rocks, and animals of the 

 State, together with many others from different parts of our 

 country and the globe, and which adds an ornament to this 

 splendid hall, is entirely owing to the conviction of some of 

 our members, that they would be guilty of a neglect of duty, 

 if they should remain content with merely paying their an- 

 nual contributions. Such a conviction should be entertained 

 by each of our members ; and until this is generally the case, 

 the Institute wiU never be productive of all the benefit which 

 has been hoped and expected from it. Not that I desire or 

 believe it possible for each individual member to devote an 

 equal portion of time to the welfare of the Society ; such can 

 never be the case ; but it may reasonably be hoped, that each 

 of its members should be constantly influenced by a desire to 



producing results that, if now foretold, would be deemed whol- 

 ly impossible. Some few of the different modes in which such 

 a feehng could be profitably employed, I shall proceed to point 

 out ; and if I can satisfy you that no great demands are to be 

 made upon your time, and that instead of being irksome and 

 unpleasant, they may become highly delightful and useful to 

 you, no matter what may be your pursuit or profession, I trust 

 that some among you will be induced to attempt them in 



Among the first, I should place that of striving to increase 

 the number of our members; of enlisting new recruits in the 

 cause of science and literature, to supply the places of those 

 whom we are gradually losing. The subjects for the cultiva- 

 tion of which we have associated together, can never be confin- 

 ed to a few without injury ; without proportionably destroying 

 the beneficial effects which they are calculated to produce. 

 They are in their nature essentially expansive, and derive the 

 greatest portion, if not all their value, from their general dif- 

 fusion, and the new views and corrections that necessarily arise 

 from the collision of different minds engaged in the examina- 

 tion of the same subject. Of the arts, as consisting of the 

 practical application of knowledge, one of the most distinguish- 

 ed philosophers of the day has said : " They cannot be per- 



