1060 Asiatic Society. [Dec. 



Read a letter from Capt. T. S. Burt, forwarding copy of a facsimile taken by 



him at Paijore. 

 Read a letter from Major T. Jervis, (Engineers) forwarding a paper on the 



cotton at Gujerat, by Mr. Vaupell. 

 Read a letter from R. C. Woods, Esq. forwarding a paper on the Introduction 

 to the study of the science of Ethnology, or the Natural History of the human 

 race. 

 Read a letter from Dr. N. Wallich, forwarding for presentation on behalf of Mr. 

 Parker a specimen of the timber of the "Royal George," blown up in Colonel 

 Pasley's operations. 

 Various specimens of minerals were presented by Major J. R. Ouseley. 

 A sword fish and a hammer-headed shark, were presented by E. D. Fabian, Esq. 

 An alligator, presented by Mr. R. S. Homfray. 



Museum. 



Pursuant to the resolutions of the last Meeting, the Secretary then laid before the 

 Meeting the rules framed by the Committee of Papers, regarding the office of 

 Curator of the Museum. 



At a Meeting of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, held on the 5th February, 

 1840, it was proposed by Sir E. Ryan, seconded by H. T. Prinsep, Esq. 

 and unanimously agreed, 

 That the office of Curator to the Society's Museum be held in future on the follow- 

 ing conditions — 1st. Two hours at least to be devoted daily to the duties of the Muse- 

 um. 2nd. Monthly reports to be made to the Committee of Papers. 3rd. The objects 

 of Natural History belonging to the Society's collection not to be removed from the 

 Museum. It was further decided, that the Committee of Papers should report to the 

 next Meeting, on the nature and extent of the duties the Curator is to undertake, with 

 reference to the office as held in other Museums. 



Report of the Committee of Papers. 



The Museum of the Asiatic Society of Bengal may be considered to embrace two 

 very distinct departments : 1st. That of Oriental Antiquities, Literature, Architecture, 

 and Numismatics. 2nd. That of Natural History. 



It would be of great importance to secure, were it possible, the services of a Curator 

 conversant with both these divisions ; but such a combination of acquirements is so rare, 

 that the Society must trust the arrangement, elucidation, and preservation of the articles 

 appertaining to the first division, to the honorary services of the Oriental Secretary, 

 the Librarian, and Pundits. 



In the department of Natural History, it must be borne in mind, that the Curator's 

 great object should be, to arrange and extend the Society's collections so as to make 

 these available for the information of the student, conducive to the general illustration 

 and advancement of science, and worthy of the place the Society holds among learned 

 institutions. Viewed in this light, it is of far more importance to the Society that their 

 Curator should assiduously apply himself to the collection, naming, and arrangement, 

 of procurable specimens of the animal and mineral kingdoms, than that he should 

 •specially devote himself to the minute elucidation of any sub-division of these subjects. 



