210 RECORDS OF THK AUSTRALIAN MUSLUM. 



lu 1880 a Royal Commission was appointed 



" to enquire into and report upon the actual state and prospect of 

 the Fisheries of this Colony." 



Mr. Ramsay had a seat on the Commission. Shortly after 

 the destruction of the Garden Palace (1882) in which were 

 stored the records of the old Commissioners of Fisheries for 

 New South Wales, Ramsay became a Commissioner, on 31st 

 October, 1882, taking the place of the Honbl. Richard Hill, 

 who had vacated his seat. The Curator ren)ained a member 

 of this body until 21st June, 1895, Avhen he resigned. 



On the 13th February, 1883, there appeared in the "Govern- 

 ment Gazette " notice of the appointment of the Honbl. [Sir] 

 Saul Samuel as Representative Commissioner, and Mr. Ramsay 

 as Secretary in Charge of Exhibits to the "Great International 

 Fisheries Exhibition, "l-a held at South Kensington, London, 

 in 1883. The latter left Sydney on the 3rd March of that year, 

 and in the same month of the following year, 1884, was again at 

 his post in the Museum. Daring his absence the affaiis of the 

 Institution were m the hands of Mr. [Prof.] W. A. Haswell, who 

 had already been attached to the Museum Staff, as Acting- 

 Curator, for a portion of the time, and for the remainder, the 

 Trustees' Secretary, the late Mr. S, Sinclair, was placed iu 

 charge. 



Under the division New South Wales, in tlie " Official 

 Catalogue "l-^ are a few introductory remarks by Mr. Ramsay, 

 wherein he said : — 



" The greater portion of the Exhibits in the N.S. Wales Court have 

 been li])erally supplied by the Trustees of the Australian 

 Mixseum at the request of the Commissioners, N.S. Wales 

 Fisheries." 



He was also the author of the "Catalogue of the Exhibits 

 in the New South Wales Court. "^^ These included not only 

 food-fishes, both fresh-water and marine, but also edible 

 Mollusca, Chelonians, Sirenians, and a small general marine 

 Zoological Collection. For the excellence of the specimens, 

 their preservation, and arrangement, no less than six gold, five 

 silver, and one bronze medal were awarded to the Trustees as 

 representing the Museum, and a gold medal to Mr. Ramsay. ^^ 



i-a Here it was that the writer first made Dr. Ramsay's acquaintance. 

 !"■ 3rd Edit., 1883, p. 176b. 

 i-i 8vo. London, 1883. 



'■'■' Report Commissioners of Fisheries N.S. Wales to 31st December, 

 1883, p. 33. 



