968 Asiatic Society. [Nov. 



tion as to what course has been pursued after the Society had passed the resolution, 

 I shall feel much obliged.' 5 * 



I beg leave to request that you will favour me with such information upon the 

 subject as shall enable me to comply with the request of Professor Reinhardt. 



1 have the honor to be, Sir, 



Your most obedient servant, 



THEODORE CANTOR, 

 To the Curator, Asiatic Society's Museum. 



Sir, Calcutta, January lb, 1840. 



In a letter from the Secretary, bearing the date of October 31st, 1837, 

 Mr. Jas. Prinsep expressed the Society's wish, that on my arrival in England I 

 should purchase such works upon natural history for the Society as were most wanted 

 in their library. To the number of works upon natural history which I have ordered 

 Messrs. Allen and Co. to procure and dispatch to the Society, I beg to add the 

 accompanying work upon Infusoria, by Professor Ehrenberg. 



In the above mentioned letter, the Secretary further requested me to take charge of 

 two duplicates from the Society's Museum, viz. a skull of an elephant, and a ditto of a 

 rhinoceros, with a view to procure in exchange for those objects others, which from 

 the knowledge I had obtained by arranging and making a catalogue of the Museum, 

 I should conceive to be acceptable. 



From Professor Reinhardt, Superintendent of the Royal Museum at Copenhagen, 

 I have received in exchange the accompanying series of osteological preparations, 

 which with the annexed list I have the honor of laying before the Society. The 

 collection consists chiefly of northern Cetacea, a class of animals, which, from their 

 locality, belong to the rarer objects in the European Museums, and which I conceive 

 of double interest to our Museum, as affording means of comparison to students of the 

 fossil Cetacea found in the Himalayan beds. 



I have the honor to be, Sir, 



Your most obedient servant, 

 THEODORE CANTOR. 



List of osteological preparations received from the Royal Museum at Copenhagen, 

 in exchange for two skulls from the Asiatic Society's Museum. 



No. 1. Canis lagopus, 

 ,, 2. Ursus maritimus, 



„ 3. Phoca hispida <$ Adult, 



„ 4. Phoca grcenlandica <£ Old, 



„ 5. Ditto 9 Adult, 



„ 6. Phoca vitulina $ Old, 



,, 7. Ditto .... (J Young, 



,, 8. Phoca barbata ? Adult, 



„ 9. Cystiphora (Phoca) cristata <$ Old, 



* Note by the Curator. The articles intended by the Society for Professor Reinhardt were made 

 over to Dr. Wallich, I believe, who undertook to have them conveyed to Copenhagen. 



