1839.] Asiatic Society. 961 



I am satisfied, at the same time, that should Dr. M'Clelland feel his time pre-oc- 

 cupied to such an extent as to pi-event his attending closely to the Museum, he would be 

 the first to propose measures for the securing the entire services of a competent person. 

 I think with the good salary we are now enabled to offer, that we can very easily 

 procure such an individual from England. I accordingly propose, — 



1. That in the event of Dr. M'Clelland declining the curatorship on the terms 

 allowed by the Honorable Court, and under the stipulations of our President, the Com- 

 mittee of Papers address (through the President) an application to the proper scientific 

 personages at home, requesting their selection and appointment of a competent naturalist 

 for the office of Curator on a salary of 300/. per annum. 



2. That the Committee of Papers at the same time forward a memorandum of the 

 Curator's duties. 



3. That the person appointed in England be bound to serve the Society for five 

 years. 



4. That an outfit allowance of five hundred rupees be allowed him, and his passage 

 paid for, and that the necessary funds for these expenses be provided by allowing the 

 Honorable Court's monthly donations to accumulate from the date on which these reso- 

 lutions may be agreed to, until the arrival of the Curator. 



5. Lastly, that these resolutions be submitted to the consideration of the next general 

 meeting, with the recommendation of the Committee in their favor. 



Your's faithfully, 

 26*A January, 1840. W. B. O'SHAUGHNESSY. 



Minute by Dr. M'Clelland. 



Having fully considered the responsibilities of the office of Curator, I shall be happy 

 to continue to discharge its duties, if it be desirable to the Society I should do so. 



As the Museum of Natural History at the India House is alluded to in the Court's 

 dispatch, I take the liberty of putting into the circular a letter from Dr. Horsfield, 

 the superintendent of that collection, by which it will be seen that the Court of Di- 

 rectors are promoting at the India House the very same object that we have here in 

 view, in endeavouring to establish a collection of natural objects. 



Under these circumstances, it will no doubt be agreeable both to the objects and 

 wishes of the Asiatic Society, to promote as much as possible, without detriment to our 

 own Museum, the objects of the home collection, with which view the grant of 200 to 

 250 rupees as salary to a Curator, seems partly to have been made. 



In my opinion the great, and indeed the only security the Society can possess in re- 

 gard to a Curator, is scientific reputation ; for without acquirements of a high order as 

 a naturalist, (by which I do not mean a stuffer, nor the mere namer of objects) his 

 assiduity would be of no avail, while his monthly reports, were he to engage to supply 

 them, might bring discredit on the Society. 



It is for these reasons, and because of a want of confidence in my fitness for an office 

 so interesting and important as our curatorship is now likely to become, that I cannot 

 enter into any engagements as to periodical reports, or hours of attendance. 



We may at present have few in Calcutta qualified for the office, but of the number 

 of eminently qualified individuals who have recently entered the Medical Department, 

 we may hope that ere long the services of some of them will be required in Calcutta. 





