1891.3 
351 
[White. 
Shurtleff, besides those whose names are above given. At the 
first annual meeting, 1831, of the seven officers chosen six were 
physicians, and of the eight curators four were physicians ; and 
as late as 1855 of the seven officers chosen six were doctors of 
medicine, while of the eleven curators seven were of the same 
profession. Those were the days before schools of natural his- 
tory existed in this country. Now we have an abundance of 
professionals in natural science, and doctors find quite enough 
to study in their own fields of research. 
In this list of naturalist-physicians the name of Dr. Storer is 
especially conspicuous. In the first year of its existence he was 
made Recording Secretary, a position he held for six years, and 
he was one of the seven members appointed to give lectures. 
In 1831 he was chosen to make a report on Mollusca for the 
Geological Survey of the State, and appointed to give two lec- 
tures on shells to the society. In 1836 he was elected Curator, 
and the thanks of the Society were presented to him “ for the 
great zeal, accuracy, and fidelity which he had manifested in its 
behalf since its establishment.” 
It was in 1837 that he was appointed to prepare his well-known 
report to the Legislature upon the Fishes and Reptiles of Massa- 
chusetts. The following year curators for special departments 
were elected for the first time, and he was chosen Curator of 
Reptiles and Fishes. In 1843 Dr. Storer was elected Vice- 
President, and continued to serve the Society in this capacity for 
seventeen years, frequently presiding over the meetings in his 
own genial way. 
In 1845 he was put on a committee with Drs. Binney, Gould, 
and C. T. Jackson, to solicit subscriptions for the purpose of 
erecting a building for the Society. In 1848, under the presi- 
dency of Dr. John C. Warren, the Society moved into the old 
medical college in Mason Street, which it had purchased, and 
“ a vote was passed, thanking Dr. Storer, Dr. Cabot, and their 
associates, for the earnestness and perseverance shown by them 
in raising the funds for adapting the new building to the use of 
the Society.” This same year the annual address was delivered 
by Dr. Storer, in which, the record states, he urged with great 
earnestness upon members the duty of making redoubled efforts 
in the cause of science. The thanks of the Society were voted 
for u his eloquent and interesting address.” 
