1847-] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 853 



(circular.) 

 ASIATIC SOCIETY, ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 



The Vice-Presidents and Committee of Papers of the Asiatic Society 

 deem it their duty to circulate for the information of the resident 

 members the annexed documents regarding the printing of coloured 

 lithographs of the drawings of the " Zoology of the Indus" made under 

 the directions of the late Sir Alexander Burnes and Dr. Lord, and 

 placed at the disposal of the Society by the Supreme Government of 

 India, in 1838. 



The original drawings were 146, of which up to October 1846 there 

 had been lithographed and coloured 51 — lithographed but not coloured 

 13 — for which there had been paid or remained due Co.'s Rs. 5,797 

 10 6, for copying, paper, colouring, and printing. — The Committee 

 of Papers with reference to the state of the Society's finances when 

 this account was laid before them, considered it their duty to discontinue 

 any further outlay on the proposed publication, and their recommenda- 

 tion to this effect was unanimously approved of at the January and 

 February meetings of 1847. 



The question remained open for consideration how the plates already 

 completed were to be disposed of. No description of the plates was 

 available, the original MS. by Dr. Lord, entrusted to Mr. Blyth in 

 1842, having been lost by that officer, who had undertaken to supply its 

 place by adequate letter-press by himself. In consideration of this 

 promise and to accelerate it's performance, with reference also to his 

 zealous exertions in increasing the Society's collections, the Society (as 

 stated by Messrs. Torrens, Heatly and Frith) at the general meeting 

 of May 1844, undertook to make an addition from that date of 100 Rs. 

 per mensem to Mr. Blyth' s salary, payable with all arrears, on the 

 completion of the MS. Of this resolution there is no official record, 

 but on the evidence of the gentlemen above named it was renewed and 

 officially recorded at the general meeting of November, 1846. — The 

 meeting further resolved that the addition to Mr. Blyth's salary could 

 uot have effect beyond the 31st of December, 1846, by which time Mr. 

 Blyth would have a claim on the Society of Rs. 3,200, payable on the 

 completion of the promised letter-press. 



On the 20th of May, 1847,the Secretaries received Mr. Blyth' s letter- 



5 s 2 



