6 



It had been frequently recommended to engage in the 

 service of your Society, some individual qualified by science 

 and experience to conduct, under the direction of the 

 Curator, the arrangements of the Museum, with an annual 

 stipend, sufficient to enable him to devote his undivided at- 

 tention to the concerns of the institution, and thereby to 

 relieve the Curator and Secretaries from the pressure of their 

 accumulating duties. The vacation of the situation of 

 Resident, seemed to present a suitable opportunity for 

 submitting to you a proposition of that nature, in conse- 

 quence of which, your Society came to the important reso- 

 lution of creating the office of Sub-curator, with an annual 

 salary of .£'80, leaving the appointment to be filled by the 

 Council. In conformity with that determination, your 

 Council has selected an individual, recommended to their 

 choice by the decided testimonials of gentlemen eminent 

 for scientific attainments, and fully competent to form an 

 opinion of the requisite qualifications. 



It may be fairly anticipated, that when the proposed 

 alterations in the building are carried into effect, the 

 Museum, under the assiduous attentions of its new officer, 

 will constitute a highly improved feature of the institution. 



With the Society's extensive connections and resources, 

 it is not too much to expect, that the constant labours of a 

 competent individual exclusively devoted to the accumula- 

 tion and preservation of subjects in Natural History, will 

 accomplish every object which the most sanguine friends 

 of this department can desire. Under the improved arrange- 

 ments of modem science, which the ample space then afford- 

 ed will admit, it will become not a mere resort for the 

 gratification of curiosity, but a valuable school of instruction,, 

 where the geologist may interpret as they are described^on 



