Academy of Natural Science. 13 



have been called upon to make large sacrifices of funds for 

 the purpose of promoting physical science, when the very 

 effort was attended with opposite effects. 



The next point which we have to consider, is the means of 

 support for the proposed institution. As it is not proposed 

 to have any monthly or other meetings, or to have any source 

 of expenditure except that of the publication of transactions, 

 those who subscribe can have little inducement beyond that 

 of contributing to an object purely scientific. 



If there be no transactions, there can be no expenditure, 

 and if there be transactions, subscribers will have so much in 

 return; but it is not merely to derive an equivalent in goods, 

 nor even the pleasure of attending meetings, that induces 

 persons to subscribe to Societies ; they in general have far 

 higher objects than the possession of influence, or the vanity 

 of taking part in proceedings. It is reasonable therefore to 

 suppose, that the list of subscribers to the Society would 

 be sufficient to meet its expenses, beyond which there would 

 be nothing more required in the beginning. A museum and 

 a library might afterwards follow: the first object which 

 from its nature would be impracticable in any Society not 

 ruled by naturalists, would in this be a natural consequence 

 requiring no effort. In proof of this we may say, that our 

 residence is a perfect store-house of fishes, birds, and 

 insects poured in from all quarters, so that if we had the 

 means of preserving objects, as well as of collecting and 

 describing them, we could soon form a museum that would 

 be worthy at once of the patronage of the government, and 

 of the character of naturalists now resident in India. 



The only security for the propriety of the requisite small 

 subscription would rest with the Committee, which would as- 

 sume the management of the Society ; but as this Committee 

 would consist of men on whom the character of the Society 

 would depend, and who should have devoted their studies ex- 

 pressly to those objects which it is intended to promote, there 

 should be no hesitation on the one hand to incur the 



