256 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST, SOCIETY, Vol. XXVIII, 
us a grant of Rs, 2,000 and the Museum Trustees advanced Rs. 3,000 and with 
these sums our staff set energetizally to work to arrange in new surroundings the 
old and interesting trophies of the Society. We are certain that the collections 
will interest the Prince but we wish we had with us that Prince of Museum story- 
tellers, H. M. Phipson, who could make every exhibit tell a story, anda good 
one at that. However the pains our Curators are taking and the interest many 
of our members have shown in the work will, we are confident, result in the 
prince’s enjoying his visit to the Natural History Society’s Museum.* 
In connection with His Royal Highness’ tour we are pleased to record that 
Mr. B. C. Ellison,our Curator, has been selected to accompany His Royal High- 
ness on his visits to Mysore, Bhopal and Nepal Terai in the capacity of Natura- 
list. We hope to receive the permission of His Royal Highness to publish 
an illustrated account of these shoots in our Journal. 
Coming back to the subject of the Mammal Survey, we regret to report the 
illness which has, we trust but temporarily, incapacitated Mr. Wells and which 
at one time endangered his life. Mr. Wells’ labours in Assam and its Borderland 
resulted not only in the collection for the Society of a valuable series of mammals 
but also in the collection by him of the Malaria parasite in his system. After a 
spell of some weeks in Hospital in Calcutta Mr. Wells considered himself fit 
enough to proceed to the Chilka Lake District but the willing spirit tried too 
much and aserious attack of Malaria at Nayagarh State has necessitated Mr. 
Wells’ return to Hospital. He has worked since September 1919 in Assam and 
a change to a healthy climate is undoubtedly desirable. We hope that he wili 
soon be strong enough to continue Survey work and recuperate his health in the 
healthy tracts of Central India where, through the generosity of H. H. The 
Maharaja Scindia, we hope to make valuable collections. 
Mr. Primrose has settled down to vigorous collecting in the Mergui District 
undeterred by the heavy rains. His letters will help those who write the Scienti- 
fic Reports on the work of the Mammal Survey to make their papers interest- 
ing to the non-scientific reader as well as to the scientific one. 
Mr. Riley O’Brien is still in the Palni Hills and after the Prince of Wales’ visit 
to the Terai, the Society’s Indian collector will return to Nepal. 
An interesting suggestion has been made to us by one of our members, 
Capt. T. R. Livesey of Kotah, and we are sure he will not mind our boldly trans- 
posing his letter almost in extenso to these pages. He writes :— 
‘**T have been meaning to write to you on the subject of collection of skins 
of Birds in India. At present there seems to be no method in it and stray 
“Ornithologists ’’ in different parts of the country slay any bird they consider 
rare which is hardly the way to encourage such species to extend their range ! 
and is of course abhorrent to any lover of Nature. 
“Could you not co-ordinate and regulate such collecting, calling through your 
Journal for exactly what you want and discourage, even prohibit, indiscrimi-” 
nate slaughter of rare and beautiful birds ? 
‘“‘Here is a diagram we will suppose of the geographical distribution of a spe- 
cies of Indian Bird—as at present known. I suggest after having obtained a 
typical series of skins, male, female, young, summer and winter plumage say 
of the species—the further collection of skins should be stopped except 
where needed—for in addition to the type you may require specimens from 
N. E. S. and W. to place the limit of distribution and to ascertain any 
variation in plumage, etc. Then extreme types from the boundaries of 
distribution should be collected in the areas marked 1, 2 and 3 and not along 
the outermost circle for therein the bird is presumably rare and trying to 
extend itself. 
° The Royal visit to the museum was unfortunately cancelled at the eleventh hour. 
