REPORTOF THE MEETINGS, BALUCHISTAN N.H.S., QUETTA. 221 



assistance they would have been only too glad to avail themselves of. Sir 

 Henry pointed out that Baluchistan af oidcd an immense field for research 

 in Zoology and Botany, the area being immense, the workers being few, and 

 large tracts quite untouched. He said that there was no province in the 

 world under any civilised Government where there was so much work for 

 speciali ts and which offered so many opportunities for valuable assistance 

 from amateurs Collectors can do valuable service to science and be en- 

 couraged by the prospect of discovering new and rare finds. Quoting his own 

 case as an instance, Sir Henry stated that he had more snakes, lizards, 

 scorpions, spiders, beetles and plants of Baluchistan named after him than fell 

 to the lot of most amateurs in other countries. Sir Henry po.nted out that 

 there was no need to travel far or wide, as there were rare fauna and flora to 

 be found on the Qugtta Gymkhana grounds and even in our own gardens, 

 offering ureat scope for interesting research. To give an idea of what might 

 be collected by amateurs and others, he stated that he had received numerous 

 letters from specialists asking for butterflies, white ants and earthworms ; 

 appeals from the Natural History Museum in London for mice, rats, moles 

 from Baluchistan, which were considered rare and unknown, and piteous 

 appeals for bugs ! So that there was nothing too small or uncommon to 

 collect, but on the other hand a great deal of pleasure to be derived in life 

 by the study of animal and vegetable life around us. 



Sir Henry further stated that his object was not merely to arouse an 

 interest in the study of Zoology and Botany in general but in that of 

 Baluchistan in particular, and urged more united and systematic research and 

 a determined effort to collect specimens of every sort, and thus ascertain all 

 we can of the fauna and flora of the Province. Government having placed at 

 our disposal a Museum building, Sir Henry stated that the collections to be 

 placed in it should be confined to Baluchistan, and that all Zoological and 

 Botanical .collections would be gratefully received on two conditions, viz., that 

 the locality be given on each, and that all must come from Baluchistan. Lastly. 

 with a view to entering upon a thorough and systematic study of the flora and 

 fauna of the country, Sir Henry considered the best thing to be done was to — 



(1) institute a Biluchistan Natural History Society ; 



(2) make out a list of all wishing to join ; 



(ii) ascertain those among them who were experts in any particular 

 branch and make use of their knowledge by sending to them, for 

 identification and classi 1 ' cation, specimens collected ; 



(4) direct the attention of others willing to assist, however amateur 



they may be, to the objects to be collected and the method oi' 

 going about it ; 



(5) send elsewhere specimens which cannot be classified by local experts ; 



(6) make good use of the conveniences provided by the Museum, such 



as a trained taxidermist, books of reference, etc,, and lastly to 



(7) encourage others to join the Society. 



