122 
The Natuhalists’ Co^ipaniox. 
AGASSIZ ASSOCIA TIOJV. 
The following is an extract from a 
letter recently received from a member 
of Chapter 847 of the A*gassiz Associa¬ 
tion, situated at Washington, Indiana, 
which fully illustrates the enthusiasm 
with which the members of the associa¬ 
tion take hold of the work belore them, 
and it is wonderful what lapid progress 
they make. If any of our readers would 
like to form a Chapter of the association 
we would respectfully refer them to the 
president, Mr. Harland H. Ballard, 
Lenox, Mass. 
“Chapter 847 consists of about twenty- 
three members—active, honorary and 
conditional. By conditional I mean 
those who join for a short time only, 
to remain permanently if they become 
interested in the work. 
The Chapter has for a meeting room 
a large room about 20x30 feet. At one 
end of the room is the secretary’s desk, 
at whith also the treasurer sits. The 
president sits back of them at a small 
table \ above the president’s chair hangs 
Agassiz’s portrait, wreathed in flowers 
and grasses. At the other end of the 
room is the cabinet, having large glass 
doors above and drawers below. In the 
upper portion are contained the trays of 
shells and minerals, the cases of insects, 
and jars containing reptiles in alcohol. 
In the lower portion are the plants, skins 
and such other articles as have no inter¬ 
est to the visitors, but are valuable to 
members. Our library contains about 
fifty volumes of general interest, twenty 
on scientific topics, and numerous mag¬ 
azines, weeklies and manuscript papers. 
Around the walls of the room are hung 
pictures of noted scientists,scenes,plants, 
as well as brackets holding crystalized 
vases, silver and zinc trees (chemical) 
and vases of flowers, some dried and 
others treated with wax. 
We gave an entertainment Christmas 
night in our hall, which netted us a neat 
sum, to be expended for specimens and 
books. On each side of the room we 
erected temporary tables, highest near 
wall.. Upon these were exhibited our 
specimens, including insects, mounted 
birds, skins, shells, minerals, plants and 
woods. Each department was presided 
over by the curators—one curator 
and an assistant to each division. In 
the centre of the room a long line of 
tables had been placed, upon which our 
novelties and articles for sale wereai- 
ranged. Among the former wei e to be 
found shell and seed frames, baskets oi- 
namented with dyed fish scales, albums 
of pressed sea-weeds, etc., spatter-work, 
designs of leaves, flowers and other ob¬ 
jects of interest, Indian relics, rustic 
stands, boxes and franres ornamented 
with colored sands and grains, drawings 
of plants, and other articles too numerous 
and varied to mention. Upon the sale- 
tables were duplicates of most of the 
above and cards with Agassiz’s photo¬ 
graph attached thereunto. I'he articles 
sold rapidly and at a handsome profit to 
the Chapter, many visitors taking a 
number of articles, and every person 
taking some one thing as a memento of 
the entertainment. About two hundred 
persons were present during the evening, 
some coming and leaving early so as to 
attend other entertainments. The room 
was crowded the whole evening, and 
our members received many compliments 
upon the good taste shown in the ar¬ 
rangements. We have been asked to 
repeat it, with all necessary modifica¬ 
tions, upon Agassiz’s birthday, and in 
all probabilities shall do so. 
This part of the state is a regular 
