xe Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. . [ April, 
and the narrower circle of his friends are alike the poorer for 
his loss. His superintendentship of the Royal Botanic Gardens, 
Calcutta, is commemorated by a replica of the life-size bronze 
medallion already referred to, placed in the Herbarium. But 
King has left his own monument in as true a sense as Wren did 
his, for so long as the mst Garden is suffered to remain, it 
will keep his memory green in India, and his botanical work 
will endure while the te ‘at knowledge remains amongst men. 
The proposal to create a distinction among the Members of 
the Society, and of obtaining official recognition for the Society 
as a Metropolitan Institution, of which intimation has been given 
by Circular to all Resident Mem ers, in accordance with Rule 
644A, was brought up for discussion. 
n consequence of the acknowledged position of the Society 
as stie senior of learned Societies in India, a proposal has been 
made to create a distinction among its members and of obtain- 
ing official recognition for the Society as a Metropolitan Insti- 
tution 
The Society would probably do well if its Membership 
involved some recognised qualification in science or literature 
viously, no standard can now be defined for the Ordinary 
Membership of the Society, and from a financial point o vie 
it would not be practicable to limit its membership in any 1 
that would result in the definition of a high standard of work. 
At the same time, if the Society took advantage of its eminent 
position to create a distinction, such as a Fellowship, limited in 
such a way that election thereto would be recognised as a dis- 
ee of great value ; and if, at the same time, only Ordinary 
em of the Society were eligible for the “distinction of 
sh ie there would be an incentive to workersin all parts 
of India to make themselves eligible for the Fellowship by 
sppllostion in the first instance, for Membership. The Society, 
consequently, would then acquire not only an increase in 
the Ordinary Membership, but would include a large number of 
distinguished workers now in other parts of India who have 
joined, or will otherwiee} join, local institutions. It is probable 
at any simple attempt to declare the Asiatic Society of 
Bengal as the Official Metropolitan Society of India would 
meet with the opposition of other smaller local Societies. We 
should not be justified, therefore, in asking for a charter for 
similar recognition by Government without first establishing in 
a natural way the pre-eminent position of the Society itself. 
The Report of the Sub-Committee appointed to vaiat ro 
the oe and accepted by the Council, is as follows 
1. Thata — number of Fellowships be created within 
the Societ 
