499 OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
OR LENT Aro vier sr ee 
The following Note has been received by the Society 
regarding a proposed collection of the Musical Instruments, 
and Literature of all Oriental and Extra-European nations, 
to be deposited in the University of Oxford, for the benefit 
of Musical students, and for the advancement of Science :— 
It is proposed. to establish at the University of Oxford, a 
complete and exhaustive collection of all the musical instru- 
ments used throughout the world by the Oriental and Extra- 
European nations, and to accompany this collection by such 
a mass of information, that the facts regarding the music of 
these nations may be collected, and laid before the musical ~ 
student in a concise and intelligible form. A thorough in- 
vestigation into the Sacred and Secular Music of Oriental 
nations, forms a subject so vast, that it would be impossible 
for one man to attempt to undertake it. It is hoped however 
that with the assistance of the various European musicians, 
resident in Eastern countries, a collection of information may 
be made and stored, from which a comprehensive text book, 
may be afterwards compiled. For that purpose a series of 
circulars are herewith issued, and a careful reply to each ques- 
tion earnestly solicited. 
These questions, were, with a few exceptions drawn up 
by the late Mr. Cart Eneex, for “ The British Association 
for the Advancement of Science,” and a study of his works 
on National Music, would greatly assist the investigator. Ex- 
cellent specimens of the manner in which Oriental music should 
be written in Evropean notation will be found on pages 28-382, 
and 344, of his “ Study of National Music.” 
It is needless for me to point out the many items of ee 
est which occur in such an investigation, nor how useful its 
results will be to the ethnologist, as well as to the musician, but 
the following will show how much that investigation is required. 
The music of the Burmese (highly spoken of by those who 
have heard it), is a sealed book to European musicians; and 
the music of the Hindus, though somewhat better known 
through the efforts of H. H. the Rajah Sir Sourinpro Monun 
Tacore, yet affords a great field for research. 
