1869.] Proceedings of tlie Asiatic Society. 25 



the end of 1841, and at once the Zoological department of your 

 collections began to assume an importance and value which they had 

 no claim to before. From the time of his appointment, until, in 

 1862, broken health compelled him to seek a more favourable climate, 

 your Journal bears continuous testimony to the wide range of his 

 knowledge, to the carefulness of his labours, and to the enthusiasm 

 and devotion he brought to his studies. In truth, I know of no series 

 of papers, the contribution of one man, which have tended so largely 

 and so thoroughly to illustrate the fauna of any one country as those 

 of Mr. Blyth do that of India. Mr. Piddington also had for many 

 years contributed largely to our knowledge of the resources of this 

 country, and continued in charge of the Mineralogical and Geological 

 portions of your collections, until in 1856 the establishment of a 

 systematic Geological Survey of the country, and the necessity of pro- 

 viding a depository for its collections, which the Society could not 

 give, led to the founding, in a separate establishment, of the Geologi- 

 cal Museum. 



But, notwithstanding the liberal contributions of the Government, 

 it was still found that the Museum was a source of constant expendi- 

 ture, which the limited resources of the Society could not meet, and 

 of constant anxiety. If care were given to one division of the collec- 

 tions, all others were necessarily neglected ; no sufficient staff could be 

 maintained ; no sufficient space could be afforded. And if additions 

 were made in one direction, they could only be accommodated by the 

 exclusion of some other class. It was not, therefore, surprising to find 

 serious complaints frequently urged of the way in which valuable 

 collections had been treated. In fact, such was inevitable ; we had 

 neither the room nor the funds required for the greatly increased col- 

 lections. After much discussion and careful deliberation, it was 

 determined to appeal to the State, to establish a proper and efficient 

 Museum chiefly illustrative of the Natural History resources of 

 India. Some time elapsed, many difficulties intervened ; the disturb- 

 ed state of the country ; the pressing demands on the public revenues 

 for other objects ; the changes in the personnel of the Government ; 

 all tended to delay the final decision of the question. But the Society 

 was gratified in 1862, by the announcement that " in the opinion 

 " of the Governor- General in Council, the time had arrived when 



