454 Ceylon Literary Society. 



2fllv. " Its Botany, perhaps the richest and least exhausted of 

 any iii the world. In this branch the history of the Cinnamon 

 tree, the various Palms so important to the sustenance of the 

 people, the Rice, and the numerous other kinds of grains culti- 

 vated in the island ; and modes of improving agriculture, well 

 deserve very particular investigation. 



3dly. " The Fishes of Ceylon, so various and yet almost unde- 

 scribed ; its Conchology, in wiiich the Trincomalee and Manar 

 districts particularly are so abundant, its Quadrupeds, Birds, In- 

 sects, and Amphibia including Serpents, atFord subjects highly 

 important for consideration. 



4thly. " For the study of the Civil History, Language and 

 Customs of the People, the facility of communication with the 

 Kandyans offers advantages not hitherto enjoyed ; and as the 

 active curiosity of the Members will probably furnish to the So- 

 ciety much to illustrate the antiquities and topography of the 

 country, as well as the other points to which its labours will be 

 directed; the establishment of a Museum, which is proposed as 

 part of the system, will serve to bring together specimens appli- 

 cable to all these various heads, contributions to which are earn- 

 estly solicited from the public at large. 



" The Fund to be raised by the Subscription of the Members, 

 will be applicable to the hire of a house for the meetings of the 

 Society, and for its Museum (unless it should please Government 

 iu patronage of the plan to assign it a building gratuitously for 

 these purposes)." 



The Society at its first meeting could boast of no less than fifty- 

 one Members, all emulous for the success of the Institution. 

 The Hon. Major-General Sir E. Barnes, the patron, was elected 

 President. The Hun. Sir Hardinge Gifford ; the Hon. Sir 

 Richard Ottley; the Hon. R. Boyd, Esq. ; the Hon. J. W. Car- 

 rington, Esq. ; the Hon. and Venerable Dr. Twisletou and Dr. 

 Farrell were elected Vice-Presidents ; and the following gentle- 

 men were named as a General Committee for managing the 

 concerns of the Society, till the first meeting in 1822 (the Com- 

 mittee thenceforward to be elected annually), viz. 



Lieut.-Col. Wright; Lieut.-Col. Walker; Dr. Dwyer ; W. 

 Granville, Esq. ; /. Moon, Esq. ; G. Tumour, Esq. ; J. Deane, 

 Esq. ; Major Delatre ; J. G. Forbes, Esq. ; Rev. C. Lyon ; H. A. 

 Marshall, Esq. ; Lieut. Gascoigne ; Rev. J. G. Glenie; Lieut.- 

 Col. Hamilton ; Lieut. Thompson. 



This General Committee divides itself into three Sub-com- 

 mittees of five Members each; viz. 1st, of Natural History and 

 Agriculture; 2dly, of Geology, Mineralogy, and Geography j 

 3dly, of Civil History, Languages, and Antiquities. 



Natives of respectability are eligible as honorary Members. 



LXXXVI. In- 



