400 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. [No. 4. 



Under these circumstances, we have to inquire whether the funds 

 at the disposal of the Society are sufficient to make those altera- 

 tions in the Building which would make it suitable for the purposes 

 of a Museum, aud whether the Society can maintain such an estab- 

 lishment as shall ensure the satisfactory custody and arrangement 

 of the specimens. The Committee is of opinion that the funds are 

 quite inadequate to any such objects. 



And first we have to remark that the entire available balance now 

 in hand is less than 4000 Es. But it is clear that the whole of this 

 could not reasonably be expended on the Natural History Museum. 

 The library might, with much advantage, have a large portion of 

 this sum devoted to it, and the repair of the building which will be 

 again required in less than two years, will absorb upwards of a thou- 

 sand Eupees, for which prudence demands that a provision should 

 be made beforehand. 



Neither is the income of the Society sufficient to give any hope 

 of such an addition being possible to the Curator's staff of assist- 

 ants, as will provide efficient supervision of a scientific character. 

 The sum placed at the disposal of the Society by the Government is 

 quite inadequate to secure the services of even one properly qualified 

 Curator and the means of the Society do not enable it to make good 

 the deficiency. It need hardly be added that without proper Curators 

 a Museum almost ceases to be a scientific institution. 



On the whole, the Committee is convinced that the Asiatic Society 

 is not capable of supporting a Natural History Museum on any but 

 the most limited scale ; and that, without a considerable addition 

 to the Government grant now made, even the existing collections 

 cannot be maintained. If things are left on their present footing 

 a gradual deterioration must take place in the condition of the col- 

 lections, and sooner or later they will pass from their present 

 unsatisfactory state into one of entire ruin. 



Any help which the Government is at all likely to proffer to the 

 Society would certainly be inadequate to provide for any future ex- 

 tension of the Museum, and unless some entire change of organiza- 

 tion takes place, it will, in the opinion of the Committee, be the 

 duty of the Society henceforth to decline all contributions. To 

 accept donations of specimens involves a tacit agreement to preserve 



