1856.] Proceedings of the Asiatic Society. 229 



ments being already most inconveniently overcrowded with specimens 

 it will soon be absolutely necessary to deal with the question of 

 extending the accommodation of the Museum. 



" Your Committee are however of opinion that the support of a 

 Museum on a scale commensurate with the requirements of science 

 in the metropolis of British India is beyond the means of the Asiatic 

 Society, or of any private association, and the Committee recom- 

 mend to the Council's consideration the propriety of drawing the 

 attention of Government to the importance of establishing a public 

 museum on a more extended scale, than it is possible for any private 

 body to maintain. 



" Such an institution has been established for a year past by the 

 Madras Government, and a small additional grant has recently been 

 provided for the support of a Zoological Garden in connection with 

 it. On the establishment of a great public museum in Calcutta 

 it would probably not be difficult to make arrangements for the 

 transfer to it of the collection belonging to the Society on conditions 

 consistent with the trust character of the property. 



" The ordinary yearly charges of the Museum as shewn in last 

 year's report are as follow : 



House rent to Curator, Rs. 480 



Establishment, 290 



Petty charges including freight, purchase of stoppered 



bottles and printing, 503 



Total,.. 1,273 



" Supposing that the Society, after consulting its absent members, 

 should agree to adopt this suggestion, and that, on the negociations 

 with Government which would follow, an arrangement could be 

 made to relieve ourselves of this charge, a reduction of subscription 

 from Rs. 16 to Rs. 8 per quarter could be carried into effect without 

 difficulty." 



(Signed) T. Thomson. 

 T. Boycott. 

 A. Gkote. 

 W. S. Atkinson. 

 2 ii 



