1865.] Proceedings of tlie Asiatic Society. 11 



that the members would be active, and that the Society would con- 

 tinue to occupy its present prominent position. He trusted also that 

 the new arrangements with G-overnment will give the Society increased 

 means of usefulness. With these brief remarks he took his leave of 

 the Society as the occupant of the Presidential chair, which he had 

 great pleasure in vacating to so able a successor. 



Mr. Bayley then left the chair, which was taken by Mr. Grote, the 

 President elect. 



Mr. G-rote, on taking the chair, briefly acknowledged the honour done 

 to him by the Society in re-electing him for another year as their 

 President. No one could have regretted more than he had done, 

 the circumstances which had prevented their last two distinguish- 

 ed Presidents from remaining in Calcutta, and thus from doing full 

 justice to the post for which they were both so eminently qualified : of 

 one thing he felt quite sure, namely, that the course on which the 

 Society had now entered, of changing its office-bearers yearly, was 

 working well for its interests, and it would be hoped be persevered 

 in. It was a subject of congratulation that the old practice of electing 

 a President and of then leaving him as a fixture, had been abandoned. 



The meeting then resolved itself into an ordinary monthly meeting. 



The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. 



The following presentations were announced. 



1. From T. Smith, Esq., a part of the mainsail of the Pilot brig 

 " Chinsurah" blown into an extraordinary knot in the Cyclone of the 

 4th and 5th October, 1864. 



2. From Dr. Sconce, several skins of birds and mammals (from 

 Assam ?). 



3. From A. G-rote, Esq., a specimen of a gold-finch from Cabul ; 

 also specimens of minerals from the Kashmir territory. 



4. From Mr. Simpson, a skin of a peacock, supposed to be a new 

 local variety. 



5. From Baboo Rajendra Mullick, a Bara Singha deer (Rucervus 

 Duvaucelii). 



6. From Syud Ahmad Khan, a copy of Tuzak-i-Jehangiri, edited 

 by himself. 



7. From the Assistant Secretary to the Government of India, one 

 copy of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th volumes of a collection of Trea- 

 ties, &c. relating to India, 



