2 2Ite Anif r'irdil (Ti-<ll<KJlxt. .lamiHn, IS9:5 
his mother jind licr tMiiiily of six chilfht'ii rctiiniccl to tlicir old 
homo ill Norwich. l-'or :i wliiic 'Phoiii:is iittcixlcd the |)ul)lii* 
sfliool, liiit soon WHS culU'd to ;issist in tiic siiijport of the fnmily. 
lie found cniploynu'iit lirst in :i printing' ollicc: then in an apoth- 
<'("irv s shop; and linally in a Itook store. Althonuh lie remained 
lint six months in cacii of tlicsc situations it is niori' than prob- 
alilc that his extremely receptive mind was stroniily inliu- 
eneed 1)V all of these occiiiintions. lie fi-e(iueiitly attriltuted his 
attention to details in the correction of AIS.. and his (piick and 
iinorrinsi' detection of faults in tyi)oiira|)hy, to his experience as a 
practical printer. His after love of chemistry could not but 
have bei'ii deve]ope(l if it was not instiuated by his surrotindin<2;s in 
the second of these situations: and his lo\-e of oi.neral literature 
and familiaritv with authoi's doubtless connneiiced with his 
oj)portunit\' to prowl over a collection of misi-ellaneous books, 
absorbiuii" their contents in the interval of his active iluties. and 
layino- the foundation of that cori'ccl expression and pure st^'lo- 
whicli distinu'uished to the last his spoken and wi'itten thoughts. 
Some of the elements of I>i-. Hunt's <ienius were a life-long habit 
of attention, an accurate judgment to select out of the assorted 
impressions received that which was \aluable or new. a phenom- 
cniil memory in retaining such concei)ts, and consistency in ado^it- 
ing them to regulate his conduct or modify his ideas. Tt is there- 
fore not at all incredilde that this exci-cHlingly impressionable- 
mind at its most impressionalile age may have assimilated 
Vioth the tastes and the faculties which directed the course 
of his after life during the short periods of those diverse- 
occupations. This is rendered tlu' more probable from the 
fact mentioned l>y .Mr. l)oiiglas. that on leaving these three 
employments to assume the duties of clerk in a not too l>u.sy 
country store, the future Cantab. Doctor kept a skeleton and cer- 
tain home-made chemical apparatus under the eount<'r for use in 
Die intervals afforded liy his commercial duties. He cairied on 
original research in this riiial retreat even while mastering the rud- 
iments of chemistry. He visited the sixth annual meeting of 
the Association of American (leoiogists and Naturalists held iu 
the geological lecture room of Yale college from Wednesday,- 
April liOth. to Tuesday, May (i, 1X47), and was there elected a 
member of that l»ody. It is interesting to note that in his nine- 
teenth vear. at this, the first meetiiiir lie attended of the body 
