Junk, 1844] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. iv 



cost of transmitting such to London will be defrayed by the British Museum. Should 

 the Society approve of my undertaking the superintendence of such collections, the 

 specimens might either be prepared by the Society's taxidermists, during the hours of 

 their non-attendance at the Museum, or an additional taxidermist might be employed 

 for the purpose, upon a salary deducted from the sum suggested by Mr. Gray. 



I have also to request, on the part of Mr. Jerdon, that he may be allowed to publish 

 figures of certain of the Society's birds in the course of his work, now in progress, upon 

 Indian Ornithology ; leaving it to me to make a selection for the purpose. I beg to 

 recommend that Mr. Jerdon's offer to do so, be entertained by the Society, as our col- 

 lection contains a very considerable number of species which it is most desirable 

 should be figured, and could well spare as many as Mr. Jerdon could possibly require. 



I wish to call the attention of the Society to the desire of certain Anglo-Indian 

 youths, to be apprenticed to the Society for three or more years, in order to be taught 

 the art of taxidermy. The difficulty which I have hitherto experienced in procuring 

 such youths to assist in the Museum is considerable, and their usefulness is shewn by 

 the large collection of skins now upon the table, most of those sent by Captain Phayre, 

 having been prepared by a lad instructed at the Museum, with whom I furnished him, 

 and who was employed by the Society in Arracan upon a salary of 5 Rupees a month, 

 upon which terms two other lads are at present engaged, one on board the Tenasserim 

 merchant-vessel, which at this time is on the coast of New Guinea, where I expect 

 that many specimens will be collected, and the other is with Capt. Abbott at Ramree. 

 The terms of apprenticeship required, on the part of the lads, who have now applied to 

 me, are 3 Rupees a month for pocket-money, and a suit of clothes annually, which I 

 understand is an usual mode of making such contracts in this country. Should the 

 Society approve of such an arrangement being made with one or more of these youths, 

 1 should be glad of their assistance at the Museum immediately, where there is a varie- 

 ty of work upon which they might be at once employed. 



I am, Sir, 



Yours obediently, 

 June 5, 1844. Ed. Blyth. 



After some conversation it was settled, that the Curator of the Zoologi- 

 cal Department, British Museum, be invited to address the Asiatic Society 

 of Bengal officially, and that Mr. Blyth be also requested to address the 

 Secretary, and to communicate with the Sub-Secretary fully in detail on 

 the subject of the proposed apprentices. Mr. Jerdon's request was acceded 

 to, but with the special proviso, that he should also be invited to address 

 the Society officially, and that while all birds sent to him should be duly 

 reported and recorded in the Society's Proceedings, he should also undertake 

 on his part duly to acknowledge them in his forthcoming work as from 

 the Society's Museum. 



