66 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XIV. 



THE JUBILEE COMMEMORATION.* 



Held at the Colombo Museum on December 11, 1895. 



The function at the Colombo Museum last night was attended by all 

 the principal residents of the city, as well as by a number of Members 

 and their friends from outstations, and passed off most successfully. 



The building and grounds had been elaborately and tastefully illumi- 

 nated, the difficulties of such an undertaking, as regards the interior of 

 the Museum, having been surmounted by Mr. P. Ramanathan, C.M.G., 

 who at his own expense lighted that section. The drive approaches 

 were lined with Japanese lanterns, and the balconies were crowded 

 with rows of cocoanut oil lamps, which made the scene from the road 

 a very effective one, the edifice being set in frames of light. The 

 portico and Sir William Gregory's statue in front were further 

 ornamented with lines of flags and lamps, and at the base of the 

 statue were clusters of evergreens and incandescent globes. The 

 doorways of the entrance hall were draped with flags used as curtains, 

 and at the foot of the main staircase, overhead, was a festoon of stag 

 moss with large letters of the same representing the initials of the 

 title of the Society. The landing on the stairs was embowered in 

 greenery and glow lamps, and at other suitable spots there were 

 groups of plants. 



All the rooms of the Museum were open for the occasion ; and 

 there were other loan exhibits, besides a display of coloured plates, 

 photograph albums, and other valuable volumes on the Library room 

 table. Handsome ola books were also on view, and the official ola 

 copier was in attendance, with his stylus, to illustrate the process on 

 fresh ola leaves. 



The other special exhibits comprised the following : — Messrs. 

 Boustead Brothers staged a number of electrical exhibits in the 

 entrance hall, with the latest designs in lamps, and a little ventilating 

 fan which was kept working. Opposite this was a Gardner gun 

 worked by an artilleryman and lent by the Officer Commanding the 

 Royal Artillery. Mr. A. W. Andree, Photographer, exhibited a 

 transparency consisting of very clear views of the Museum and the 

 principal features to be found in its rooms. Upstairs, at the west 

 end, Mr. Staniforth Green presided over his table of microscopes, 

 and had — mounted by himself — such things of special interest as a 

 specimen of the coffee leaf disease, a section of a brown pearl, and 

 the smallest Ceylon wasp — one-sixtieth of an inch long — besides 

 other things. Close by was a collection of apparatus, including a 

 galvanic battery, from the Royal College, Mr. Walker being in 

 charge. At the east end Dr. H. M. Fernando, exhibited the electric 

 light in vacuum coloured tubes, which were constantly charged. 

 He also had a series of microscopic studies, including a live fibaria 

 from the blood of the chameleon, and also a fibaria, not living, taken 

 from elephantiasis in a human body. Mr. W. A. de Silvahad a display 



* Extracted from the Times of Ceylon and Ceylon Observer of December 

 12, 1895. 



