380 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXTII. 



and would be done by amateurs as a relaxation from their ordinary duties. 

 Far from doing this however the Society's Mammal Survey assists, and will 

 assist, the amateur naturalist, and we think those who had the pleasure of 

 meeting Capt. G. C. Shortridge in the course of his work for the Society will 

 bear this out. At present Mr. Wells is learning and depends for help on our 

 members, and our collectors must always depend for help on these, but the 

 results of the Survey give members information of great value as to the 

 animals fomid in various districts, and help by pointing out problems 

 on which more information is wanted. The survey is intended to guide the 

 amateur worker into channels where his co-operation will have the best effect. 



The Society invites the assistance of its members, especially of those who 

 have the opportunities at their disposal for studying and making collections 

 of animal hfe in locahties which are not readily accessible, to co-operate in 

 making the Mammal Survey an outstanding success. In his introduction 

 to the " Summary of the Results of the Mammal Survey," Mr. Wroughton 

 points out the direction in which help can best be given, and he suggests that 

 what are required are a series of skins from the fauna which surrounds the 

 collector and that a series of skins of a single species of mammals, from a given 

 locaUty, is very much more valuable than single specimens. The Society will 

 always be ready to help members who are willing to assist in the work with advice 

 on methods of collecting, etc. It would further be prepared to loan the services 

 of a trained skinner in cases where members are in a position to make fuU use 

 of his services. It is not only in the department of mammals that the assistance 

 of members is sought, the same may be said of birds, fishes, reptiles and 

 moUusca. 



Science is greatly indebted to the work of amateurs, and their services in its 

 cause are commented upon by Prof. T. A. D. Cockerell in his article on English 

 Naturahsts in ' Natural History ' the Journal of the American Museum of 

 Natural History. " Men who spent their leisure moments in the study of 

 plants, insects, birds, or fossils, forming Societies and organizing excursions, 

 everywhere worshipping at the shrine of Nature and gathermg data for the 

 advancement of knowledge." He avers that love for Nature was inculcated 

 in these men by the excellent sources for information available to the youthful 

 naturahst in England. " There were elementary ' Natural Histories ' suited 

 even for childi'en, with good coloured illustrations. For those a httle older, 

 shilling books furnished guides to the butterflies, beetles, common objects 

 of the country side, common objects of the sea shore. In addition to which 

 the facilities afforded by local museums with the collections of the local fossils, 

 insects and other objects made the would-be naturahst independent of formal 

 instruction and enabled him to puzzle out things for himself." 



A comparison of these conditions with the deplorable state of affairs pre- 

 vaihng in this country will in some measure account for the prevailing apathy 

 among Indians in general for work of this nature. There are a few brUhant 

 gXceptions, but, alas, remarkably few. 



The course of Nature Study prescribed in Indian Schools is retarded by the 

 want of suitable hterature describing the fauna and flora of the country in which 

 the jjupils live. As a general rule the books and explanatory charts at the 

 service of the teacher deal with animal and plant life not met with in this country. 



The report of the working of the Society for the past period makes reference 

 to the future policy of the Society as regards its co-operation with the teaching 

 body in this country by the pubhcation of charts deaUng with animals and 

 plants commonly met with in India. Their introduction into Indian schools 

 would tend to rouse the interest of the Indian pupil in the natural hfe which 

 surrounds him and should develop in him a desire for further study and research. 



