62 Presidcnfs Address. [Feb. 



During the past year, the question of establishing a Zoological Garden 

 has been brought before the Council of the Society, by Mr. Schwendler. The 

 question had previously been frequently considered, but from the difficulties 

 of procuring funds and a site, it had never as yet been found possible to car- 

 ry out any proposal. The Society, however, took up Mr. Schwendler's 

 scheme warmly and called a meeting of all those residents of Calcutta who 

 were considered likely to advance the project. The Agri-Horticultural So- 

 ciety joined and a deputation waited on the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, 

 but still the want of funds and of a site, stopped all proceedings and the 

 question now rests thus. If the Town or any other Body or Society can 

 supply a site, there is every probability of a Zoological Society being formed, 

 which the Asiatic Society would support as far as lay in its power. The 

 question is important. The Zoological Societies of Europe look anxiously for 

 the maturing of the scheme, and this has been forcibly expressed by Dr. 

 Bodinus, Director of the Zoological Garden, Berlin, in a letter to Mr, 

 Schwendler. 



It is considered that India offers the greatest facilities, not only for 

 establishing a local collection for promoting the study of Zoology locally, 

 but that it offers facilities for giving the greatest assistance to all the Zoolo- 

 gical Societies throughout Europe and that a Society in Calcutta would 

 thus have a far more extended sphere of useful action than any other Zoolo- 

 gical Society could hope for. 



Considering the influence and power of assisting that such an in- 

 stitution would have, it certainly seems incumbent on the Asiatic Society to 

 support the scheme to its utmost, and hence I trust that as soon as the condi- 

 tion of the country admits of it, we shall be able to proceed in the 

 matter. 



Of the labours of the Geological Survey Department, I must advert 

 to its contributions to the Vienna Exhibition which have met with most 

 marked recognition, and especially for its excellent collection of Salt, Iron and 

 Coal there exhibited, and which latter have demanded the greatest attention 

 from all interested in the question of mineral fuels. 



A Diploma of Honor was awarded to Dr. Oldham for the high interest 

 attaching to the collections contributed by the Geological Survey of India. 



This year has seen the completion in the Palseontologica Indica of the 

 great work upon the Cretaceous Eauna of Southern India, forming four large 

 quarto volumes. The plates are admirably executed, while the range and 

 precision of Dr. Stoliczka's labours give to this work a prominent place in 

 Palseontological literature. 



The most noteworthy facts of the year in Indian Geology are : first, the 

 discovery by Mr. King in the lower Godavari valley, of a zone containing 

 marine fossils among the upper members of the great stratigraphical series 



