66 n. E. the Viceroy^s reply. [June, 



the course of action which will be most conducive to the general 

 convenience of the Empire at largo and to the advancement of science, 

 and of the art of exact time-keeping, that the Council of the Asiatic 

 Society have instructed me to lay their views before His Excellency the 

 Governor-General, in the hope that he will be pleased to regard them 

 favourably and to take such steps as he may consider advisable to 

 forward the introduction of the reform which they regard as desii'able, 

 if after full enquiry it should prove practicable. 



The Secretary read the following reply to the above letter : — 

 From 



The private SECRETARY to 



HIS EXCELLENCY the VICEROY. 



Dated Simla, the 31sf May, 1899. 



Sir, 



I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter 

 of the 22nd instant regarding the introduction of a standard time 

 throughout India, and to say I have laid it before His Excellency the 

 Viceroy. 



I have the honour to be, 

 Sir, 

 Your most obedient Servant, 



F. W. LATIMER, 

 For Private Secretary to the Viceroy. 



The Secretary also read extract of the following letter from 

 Dr. Enrico H. Giglioli, of Florence, regarding the photograph of 

 Cleopatra in the possession of the Asiatic Society of Bengal : — 



" I have been able to ascertain that in the public and private 

 picture galleries at Rome, no Cleopatra exists equal to the one you have 

 in Calcutta and of which you sent me a photograph. There is indeed 

 in the Pinacotheca at the Capital a Cleopatra by Guido Reni, but it 

 is an unfinished one and not only different from yours, but also from 

 those by Guido in the galleries of Florence and Genoa. The only 

 trallery in Rome which was not searched, because it was closed at 

 the time I was at Rome is the Sciarra gallery ; but I was told that it 

 contains no Cleopatra. Thus yours is in all probability an original, 

 certainly by Guido Reni or his School. 



No Cleopatra by G iiido is in the Bai^beriui gallery at Rome, which 

 was carefully searched." 



