230 Joiirna/ of Travel and Natural History 



the spot, where " within six hours," as he states, he collected up- 

 wards of 300 specimens of fossil bones. Thus, not only were his 

 previous expectations fully confirmed, but the most abundant 

 materials afforded him for Palseontological study. The results of 

 this study are given, as we have said, in the first volume, some of 

 the earlier papers in which must have been composed under un- 

 usual difficulties, seeing that in the remote quarter of India in 

 which he was placed, the " ordinary means resorted to by men of 

 science for the purposes of reference and comparison were wholly 

 wanting." " But Falconer was not the man to be baffled by such 

 discouragement ; he appealed to the living forms around him," and 

 was thus enabled in some degree to compare "the extinct fonns 

 with their nearest living analogues." 



The enormous extent of the valuable materials which were thus 

 collected will be at once seen in the Pahxontological Galleries of the 

 British Museum, of whose contents they furnish so imposing an 

 element. With respect to this, in more senses than one, gigantic 

 collection, it may be well said, as remarked by the Editor, referring 

 to Falconer and Cautley, "Si monumentum requiras, circumspice." 



Speaking of this collection, and as a proof of the zeal with which 

 Dr Falconer must have devoted himself to science during the first 

 ten years of his residence in India, we find it recorded that, when 

 compelled by the state of his health to return to Europe in 1840, 

 he brought with him seventy large chests of dried plants, and forty- 

 eight cases, containing not less than five tons of fossil bones, 

 together with numerous geological specimens. The greater part 

 of the fossils were presented to the India House, but a large 

 number of unique or choice specimens, required to fill blanks, or 

 complete series in the Cautley Collection, which was about the 

 same time presented to the British Museum, were forwarded to that 

 institution. 



But this enormous mass of materials was almost useless until 

 it was arranged and classified. Sir Robert Peel, consequently, at 

 all times distinguished amongst our statesmen for his encourage- 

 ment of science, at the instigation of the various learned bodies, 

 made a grant of ;;^iooo to defray the cxi)ense of preparing the 

 materials for study and exhibition ; and at tlie same time, rooms 

 in the ]5ritish Museum were assigned to Dr Falconer for the 

 purjjose of his prei)aring and arranging ihcni. It was pro- 

 posed that the result of his labours should be published in an 

 illustrated work, to be intitled " Fauna Anticjua Sivalensis," 



