wich Social Library, to draw up Articles of Agreement and Regulations for the Company. We met at Esquire Choat's. Present: Hon. Stephen Choat, Esq., Mr. Dana, Mr. Frisbie, Esq. Noyes, and myself.

Mar. 22, Tues. Messrs. Dana and Frisbie here, as a subcommittee with myself, for forming a constitution and articles for the Library Company.

Mar. 23, Wed. Went to town and met with the Library Committee at Mr. Noyes'.

Apr. 3, Lord's Day. A most beautiful Annular Eclipse of the Sun this morning, which began just after sunrise and ended after 8 o'clock. The appearance was fine, although I had only a common spy-glass, as the atmosphere was in an uncommonly fine state. Tho' rainy yesterday, the wind shifted to the N. W., and had cleared the air from the smallest appearance of vapor. Nearly calm while the eclipse lasted, but the wind very high the most of the day. Preached. Apr. 21, Thurs. My barn was moved from the Hubbard house round the north end of the Meeting House to my other barn. Began to move it at 8 o'clock, and had it completely placed on the spot, without any accident or injury to the building, by one o'clock. We had about ninety yoke of oxen, but they were not all put in the strings for hauling the barn. Dined about 200 persons. The whole parish was invited, and generally attended.

Apr. 26, Tues. Attended a meeting of the Trustees of the Ipswich Social Library.

May 24, Tues. Went this morning to Cambridge, and then to Boston. Attended the meeting of the Academy. Dined at Esquire Storer's.

May 25, Wed. Election. A fine sermon. The Governor gave a public dinner to the Clergy, and a great number of others, nearly 300, at Faneuil Hall. A very fine entertainment; escorted by the Fusiliers. Attended Convention. Went to Mr. Everett's with Mr. Chickering, and spent the night very agreeably.

June 1, Wed. Attended the annual meeting of our Philosophical Library Company at Mr. Prince's.

June 7, Tues. Went to Nahant, in Lynn, in company with

Messrs. Prince, Barnard, and McKeen, where we met Mr. Belknap and Mr. Everett, of Boston, on a philosophical visit to the Swallow House, or cave in the rocks on the sea-shore. Among other curiosities we found the Sea-anemone, or animal plant, in great perfection and of a large size. Killed several kinds of birds, for the purpose of arranging them in Natural History. A very agreeable day.

June 12, Lord's Day. (At Providence.) Preached for Dr. Hitchcock. A very handsome congregation. Wore my black gown and cassock for the first time.

Mon., June 13. We rode about, and out of town. Dined with Governor Bowen. Attended a meeting of the Proprietors of the Ohio Company, and gave them an account of the state of the Company's affairs, which appeared to be satisfactory.

July 7, Thurs. Mrs. C. and I went to Salem very early, and Mr. Prince and I went to Nahant. Met Mr. Barrel and son, and Messrs. Belknap and Clark from Boston. Found a great number of the sea-anemone in the Swallow House.

Aug. 2-6. Notified a meeting of the Proprietors of the Ohio Company to meet at the Bunch of Grapes on the 10th instant. Busy about Ohio matters.

Aug. 10, Wed. (In Boston.) Dined with Mr. Barrel. Attended a meeting of the Proprietors at the Bunch of Grapes. They appointed me to go on to Philadelphia and settle all their

accounts.

Sept. 5-7. Preparing specimens of plants and Catalogue of animals. Sent specimens to Dr. Muhlenberg.

Sept. 8-10. Finished Catalogue of animals, and sent it to Brother Belknap for his History.*

Oct. 11, Tues. (At Beverly.) Observed the eclipse of the Moon. A very fine observation. Several gentlemen present.

Nov. 8, Tues. The Proprietors of the Philosophical Library agreed to take the American edition of the Encylopædia. I received the first volume.

Dec. 9, Fri. A meeting of the Proprietors of the Ipswich Local Library. Adjusted the order of drawing. I came up

*This list of animals is in Chapter X. of Volume III., Belknap's History of New Hampshire.

the 4th on the list, and took out Goldsmith's Animated Na

ture.

SEA-ANEMONE.

This account of the Sea-anemone is found among Dr. Cut

ler's papers:

The Sea-anemones are a most singular species of animals. approaching nearly, if not nearest, to the connecting link between the animate and inanimate creation. We have had no account of the discovery of the Sea-anemone on the American shores until the year 1791. In the month of June Dr. Cutler. with the Rev. Mr. Prince, of Salem, in company with several other gentlemen, visited the cavern in the rocks on the southern side of Nahant, in Lynn, called the Swallow-house, for the purpose of searching for them. At the bottom of the cavern, after the tide had receded, they found great numbers. of different sizes, and a great variety of colors.

The general form of this singular animal, when moderately contracted, is nearly like that of a truncated cone, with its base adhering to the rocks, but it has the power of assuming a variety of shapes. The position in which some of them appeared resembled a full-blown anemone; others approached nearer to the flower of a large rose or poppy, and some were extended in an oblique direction, with the leaves so much contracted as to exhibit only their margin in the form of a fringe.

When the arms or leaves of the larger ones were fully displayed they measured five and six inches in circumference, exhibiting a great variety and brilliancy of colors. Some were of the purest white, some of the most delicate flesh color, others tinged with purple, green, and violet, and still others shaded and variegated with the finest brown or black. On touching the arms, or leaves, they instantly contract. By expanding and contracting the leaves, they collect and convey food to their mouths, which are placed in the center of the blossom. On offering them bits of muscles, they directly seized them with their arms, conducted them to their mouths, and swallowed them. If pieces of shells adhering to the muscle, or if small muscles were given them, the shells were afterward discharged by the mouth.

The Sea-anemone is said to be viviparous. It has also the power of reproduction. If the arms are clipped off, they will bud and grow to the usual size. And the Abbe Dicquemare has shown by a course of experiments that, like Polype, it may be multiplied by shreds clipped from the animal. These Anemones have a progressive motion; moving, but extremely slow. Mr. Joseph Barrel, of Charlestown, who with several other gentlemen was there at the same time, carried home a pebble on which an anemone had attached itself, and preserved it several months in sea water. It disengaged itself from the stone and moved about the vessel in which he had placed it. It has been classed among the Zoophytes.

CHAPTER XI.

DIRECTORS' PETITION TO CONGRESS-REPORT OF COMMITTEE

ACT CONVEYING LANDS TO OHIO COMPANY-LETTERS TO MRS. CUTLER-DIARY, 1793.

Of the years from 1791 to 1800, some of the interleaved Almanacs are not found. Those which remain, with letters. written during this period, and other documents, show something of the busy life which Dr. Cutler led. Of the year 1792 he states, in a letter to Dr. Muhlenburg, that: "The concerns of the Ohio Company have unavoidably occupied all my time for a year past, except an attention to such parochial duties as could not be dispensed with." Four months in the earlier part of the year he was in Philadelphia, with two other Directors, General Rufus Putnam and Colonel Robert Oliver, endeavoring to procure from Congress an adjustment of the affairs of the Company. They sought to obtain a reduction in the price of the lands contracted for, to correspond with that at which Congress proposed to place other western lands in the market; and they particularly desired to secure deeds of that part of the purchase for which they had already paid. The Indian war, and the advance in the value of securities, to which was now added the failure of the treasurer, at New York, for a large amount of Company funds, were elements that greatly complicated the difficulties under which they labored. The Almanac for 1792 is missing, but the following documents and letters relating to the business will show the action of the Directors and of Congress in the premises. While in Philadelphia at this time, Dr. Cutler was brought into pleasant social contact with President Washington, Vice

* Colonel Robert Oliver served with credit during the Revolution, attaining the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel of the Tenth Massachusetts and Brevet Colonel. He came to Marietta, Ohio, 1788. After the death of General Parsons, 1789, he was chosen a director in the Ohio Company. He was Judge of the Common Pleas, and in 1800 President of the Territorial Council. He died at Marietta, 1810.