106 Address. [Feb. 



should have a peculiar interest, not only in the Imperial Indian Museum, 

 in which its own collections are now preserved, but in the welfare 

 and progress of the Museums which have been established all over 

 the country and are so valuable for the due conservation and study 

 of objects of historical or scientific interest, besides being a most po- 

 tent means of education by the eye, to the student, or craftsman, as 

 well as to the merest sightseer : and it is satisfactory to think that the 

 poorest cooly can enjoy these advantages gratuitously and without let 

 or hindrance. 



Indian Museum. — This Museum, in which we have so strong a direct 

 interest, is doing good work in many directions which have been espe- 

 cially noticed under their respective heads. It is a very great pleasure 

 to me to be able to report that the new building to accommodate the 

 Economic and Anthropological Collections, has been commenced, under 

 the orders of the Government of Bengal. When this is completed the 

 Museum will have a magnificent range of buildings worthy of the 

 Imperial capital and Presidency town. 



It is specially gratifying to know that the Sea-Dredging opera- 

 tions by the Marine Survey department, in the starting of which our 

 Society took so prominent an interest some years ago, are yielding 

 very fruitful results. The contributions of zoological specimens 

 collected by Commander Carpenter, Dr. Giles — the naturalist, and 

 other officers of the Marine Survey, are steadily increasing in number 

 and importance. According to a summary kindly furnished to me 

 by Mr. Wood-Mason, the Superintendent of the Museum, no less than 

 515 distinct species, exclusive of the results of numerous surface gather- 

 ings and of isolated fragments of Sponges, Hydroids, Alcyonaria, 

 Mollusks &c, were brought on the books of the Museum during 

 the year ; and many specimens, including the fine collection from 20 to 

 1,900 fathoms formed last May by Mr. Wood- Mason, who temporarily 

 took Dr. Giles' place on board the ' Investigator' as naturalist, are still 

 being sorted and registered. The retirement of Dr. Giles from the 

 Survey, threatened to interfere with the continuity of the zoological 

 work, but it is satisfactory to know that a competent siiccessor to him, in 

 Dr. Alcock, has been appointed by Government, and there is no reason 

 to fear that the results of the present season will be inferior to those of 

 past seasons. It is hoped that with steel dredging- wire, which has been 

 ordered from Europe, results of still greater value and importance will 

 be attained. 



The other most important recent acquisitions are a collection of 

 interesting Neolithic worked stones from Southern India, presented by 

 Mr. R. B. Eoote ; and the remarkable collection of remains of the same 

 age discovered by Mr. Driver, and referred to elsewhere. 



