Aniuial Meeting.] 508 I^^^^J' '- 
l)eople came from out of toMm on several successive Saturdays 
to get instruction. Three persons, interested in the subject of 
geology and general natural history, came almost every public 
day during the season of 1894, and two of these have continued 
the study of geology outside. The follo\ving is an approximate 
record of attendance : — 
1894, May, 222 ; June, 419; September, 251; October, 379; 
November, 233. Total, 1894, 1504. 
Beginning April, 1895, a new plan was inaugurated; namely, 
that of giving regular lectm-es on stated subjects and at stated 
hours. These lectures are delivered in the lecture hall of the 
Society where illustrations by diagrams and blackboard drawings 
are available and where also the audience can be seated and take 
notes if they desire to do so. The first lecture was given Satur- 
day, April 13, at 11a. m., and was attended by 80 or more 
persons, most of them teachers. After the lecture, they were 
taken to the cases where the specimens illustrating the special 
subject under discussion were pointed out and explained, and an 
opportunity was offered for discussion, in which a number took 
part. Altogether seven lectures have been given with a total 
attendance of about 250. The Saturday morning lectures are 
the best attended, and these were announced by circulars sent to 
the schools of Boston and to the papers. As an example of the 
appreciation of these lectures by the public, it may be stated 
that a teacher from one of the towns in the neighborhood of 
Boston said to Mr. Grabau that his explanations had given her 
more information than Avhole days of previous visits to the 
museum. The continuance of this department is at present 
entirely dependent upon the interest and generosity of a lady who 
is a member of this Society. 
The folloAving copy of the circular sent out will give some idea 
of the object and scope of the public lectures. 
" A course of popular lectures will be given by Mr. A. W. 
Grabau on consecutive Saturday mornings at 11 o'clock, in the 
lecture hall of the Society. The course will begin with four 
popular lectures on geology, the first to be given Saturday 
morning, April 13, 1895. The subjects of the first four lectures 
are : 
