Report, 



M 



brought to notice, cannot be regarded with indifference by the Hon ble 

 Court, nor can it have disposed them to entertain with much favour 

 any fresh demand on their munificence preferred by the Society. With 

 these remarks the Council submit Mr. Blyth's application to the consi- 

 deration of the meeting, recommending that it be referred to the sec- 

 tion of Natural History for their report to the Council prior to the 

 next meeting, and that the Section be invited to inquire into and report 

 on the state of the Museum of Zoology, the extent to which the So- 

 ciety are indebted to Mr. Blyth for his services in that department, 

 and to offer such suggestions as to its improvement and extension as 

 they may deem desirable. 



Department of Geology and Mineralogy. 



The acquisitions of specimens and collections have been numerous 

 during the year — the reports of the Curator valuable. The Council are 

 happy to record their satisfaction with the arrangements and catalogue- 

 ing by the Curator, Mr. Piddington, of the part of the Museum under 

 his control. 



In reviewing the subject of the Collections, Museums and Library, 

 the Council wish to take prominent notice of the very insufficient space 

 for arrangement, display or even preservation, of their property, afforded 

 by the present premises. In every department collections of great 

 value are so heaped together that their utility and even their interest 

 are almost nullified. The Society generally are but little aware of tbe 

 riches they possess, and which more ample space would enable them to 

 display with equal advantage to the public and credit to themselves. 



The Government have within the last month liberally conceded to 

 the Society the small piece of ground on the Chowringhee front, lately 

 occupied as a Police Thanna. With this ground available there exists 

 sufficient room for the erection of a Museum, in which the Sculptures, 

 Busts and Monuments, the fossils, Osteological and Mineralogical col- 

 lections, with the arms, standards, pictures and models, could be 

 displayed in a manner worthy of this Society, and even of national 

 importance, as evincing the encouragement afforded by Government 

 and the Society to the cultivation of every branch of science and litera- 

 ture connected with the history, the manners, the arts and produc- 

 tions of India. 



