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EDITORIAL. 
Since the last editorial was published at the end of July—and it was written 
several days before it appeared in print—a good deal has happened which is 
of interest to members. 
First perhaps is the fact that a statement made in that editorial has turned 
out to be absolutely incorrect and the editors rejoice at their fallibility ! We 
wrote last July ‘‘ We cannot look to Government for financial help (for the 
Mammal Survey) though it is work for the good of India we are doing.... Per- 
haps it may be possible when the Finance member has not to budget for a 
deficit of eighteen crores, but if we wait for that happy day we shall never 
be able to finish the Mammal Survey in time for the New Volume (Mammals— 
Fauna of British India Series, New Edition) ”’. 
Well, the happy day for the Finance Member has not arrived but the Society 
has been granted a donation of Rs. 22,500 for the year 1921-22 for the services 
of the Mammal Survey and a similar sum will be budgeted—-and we trust voted— 
for 1922-23. We believe that two factors weighed heavily in the scale in our 
favour. One was the fact that out of a total sum of Rs. 1,07,000 subscribed 
since 1911 to the funds of the Survey only Rs. 37,500 had been subscribed by 
various Governments in India and that out of this small proportion only Rs.7,500 
had been provided by the Government of India. Speaking in connection with quite 
a different matter the President of our Society (His Excellency Sir George Lloyd) 
stated “‘ Government will help those who help themselves ” and a Society which 
could help itself as ours had done evidently deserved help as it is good to encourage 
private effort to do what otherwise Government would have to do. How rare 
it is for private enterprise to undertake such, work and to relieve Government 
of the task was pointed out by Mr. Oldfield Thomas, and his remarks were we 
believe the second factor which weighed with the Financial Committee of the 
Legislative Assembly and with the members. When applying for the grant the 
Honorary Secretary quoted Mr. Oldfield Thomas’ remarks which were as 
follows :— 
“The work already carried out by the Bombay Natural History Society 
is unique, in that it is the sole instance on record of such a Survey having been 
carried out by a private Society with very little help by Government. The 
only other systematic Survey of the Mammals of a country is that made of 
the Mammalia of the United States. This was made at the sole cost of Govern- 
ment.” 
The grant from Government does not do away entirely with the necessity of 
further help from members and we are glad it does not as the need of the Survey 
has enabled some of our old members to show that though they may be some 
considerable distance from India they are still as keenly interested in the Society 
as in their young days. His Excellency the High Commissioner for Mesopotamia, 
Sir Percy Cox, who has done so much for the Society in Mesopotamia and the 
Coasts and Islands of the Persian Gulf, offered to contribute Rs. 1,000 a year 
for three years to the Funds of the Survey in the hope and _ belief that others 
would follow his example. His trust was not belied. Two Life Members at 
home and one out here have already guaranteed similar sums and after 
publication of this Journal we confidently look for many more. 
The grant for the Prince of Wales Museum has at last been sanctioned by the 
Local Government and though not yet paid Rs. 40,000 will in due course find its 
way to our Treasurer and enable him to satisfy partially—and we are afraid very 
partially—the importunate demands of the Curator. The grant for the Museum 
would however have reached us too late to enable us to arrange, in time for the 
Prince’s visit, the portion of the Museum wing placed at our disposal by the 
Museum Authorities. Fortunately the Prince of Wales’ Reception Fund made 
