1840.] Asiatic Society, 1059 



To H. W. ToRRENs, Esq. 



Secretary Asiatic Society, ^c. ^c. 

 Sir, 



With reference to letter No. 17, from the Deputy Secretary of the Government 



of Bengal, conveying a request from the Right Honorable the Governor of Bengal, 



to "be furnished with full information regarding the [Zoological collection alleged to 



have been made over to the Museum of the Society" by the late Dr. Helper; I have 



the honor to report that — 



1. It appears by the Society's proceedings of 10th December, 1838, that the Or- 



See pp. 836, 337, of Journal nitkological Tpa,rt only, of Dr. Helper's collection was ori- 

 Asiatic Society herewith sent 



No. 81 for September 1838. ginally deposited at the Asiatic Society's rooms ; the Honor- 

 able the President in Council having referred to the Society, as per Mr. Secretary 

 Prinsep's letter, of 12th September, 1838, soliciting its advice and assistance, 

 "generally in the matter; and also as to the separation of the specimens, that could 

 be spared. 



2. That the division of the collection into three parts, as recommended by the 

 Museum Committee, was made at the Museum ; and that of these, one, being packed 

 by the Curator and Assistants, was forwarded to Government for shipment to Europe, 

 for the Honorable the Court of Directors. Dr. Helper's part was taken away by him, 

 at that time. 



3. That of the part left for the Society, some birds were mounted, and the remain- 

 der, being 173 (duplicates) are now in the Museum. 



4. These duplicates form a part of those (322 specimens in all, and mostly birds) 

 which at our last December Meeting, I recommended being sent home to the 

 Honorable the Court of Directors without delay; as they would be of value at 

 home, if only for exchanging, while they had almost none here, and were necessa- 

 rily fast deteriorating. 



5. No collections of the classes Mammalia, Reptilia, or Pisces, from Dr. Helper, 

 have reached the Society, that I can learn. With the birds are three skins only 

 of Mammalia (two monkeys and one of a squirrel), and these, no arsenic having 

 fortunately been used in their preparation, are in a very indifferent state. 



6. This remark applies equally to the birds; but it is possible that European 

 taxidermists may succeed in mounting and repairing a very considerable number 

 of them ; and in Europe they would thus last a long time. 



As. Soc. Rooms, I have, &c. &c. 



I3th January. 1841. H. Piddington, 



Acting Curator, As. Socy's. Museum. 



A copy of the foregoing paper, together with No. 81 of the Journal Asiatic Society, 

 was forwarded for the information of the Government. 



Read a letter from Dr. F. Tamnau, Jun, of Berlin, of 8th November last, containing 

 proposals of exchanging minerals of the East, with those from Germany, Sweden, 

 Norway, &c. 



Resolved— That the following reply be made to Dr. Tamnau, Jun. 



6 T 



