Proceedings of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. 147 



with Dr. M'Clelland, or any other qualified gentleman in India, to whom 

 such a limited salary might he an object, should the conditions of offer- 

 ing the situation to the former be such as to make him decline it. 



Calcutta, 

 15th February, 1840. 



We do not blame persons for not being naturalists, but when they 

 assume that character under the garb of a Committee, we must hold 

 them responsible for their acts, particularly when directed against in- 

 dividuals whose pursuits might be supposed to be a protection, or when 

 their opinions are calculated to mislead the taste and judgment of the 

 public. The only inference to be derived from the foregoing report, 

 which was got up no one knows how, is, that we have been neglecting 

 the interests of the Museum for objects of more interest to ourselves — 

 that when we ought to have been sitting in the Museum, we have been 

 investigating "groups and families" at home; and every thing calcula- 

 ted to bear upon the disadvantage of this, is brought forward, while all 

 that should excuse it, is suppressed or misrepresented. It is insinuated 

 even that our paper on " Cyprinidse" was written when we ought to have 

 been doing something else, forgetting that it was presented to the 

 Society nine months before the Committee had any claim upon our 

 time ; while they keep out of sight the fact of above 360 animals having 

 been added to their collection during the few months we held office, 

 a third of which were collected by ourselves in that short period. We 

 have merely to add the following extract from our reply to our late just 

 and liberal masters, and gladly leave them in possession of the Asiatic 

 Society. 



" As the report professes to have framed the duties of the office 

 to which such new interest is attached on the established usage of 

 other Museums, I must be permitted to point out the error into which 

 the Rapporteur seems to have fallen. 



" The Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons in London is 

 placed under a Board of Curators, over which the members of the 

 College have no authority. I allude to this Museum as one in which 

 the Government have an interest, and in all other Museums to the 

 support of which the Government contribute, the Curators are equally 

 independent. This Board may not only cut and dissect the specimens 

 in such manner as may be deemed essential, but may send them to 

 lapidaries and others to do the same; and Mr. Clift, as well as Mr. 



of in connection with natural history, produced their maiden report. Would any 

 one be justified in reposing confidence where there is so little regard for appear- 

 ance?— Ed. 



