190 Proceedings of the Mad. Lit. Society [No. 33, 



minerals of almost every part of the Madras Presidencj' , from Cape 

 Comorin to the Nerbuddah, and moreover, many specimens from the 

 British Isles and other countries both in Europe and Asia. These 

 have been classed by Major General Cullen, Mr. Heath, Captain 

 Newbold, Mr. Jerdon, and the late Doctors Malcolmson and Benza 

 and Mr. C. T. Kaye, and a catalogue of them has been nearly com- 

 pleted, though not yet printed. In addition to the mineral specimens, 

 there are also in the Museum various curiosities which are described 

 in a list annexed to the catalogue of the Library ; some of which 

 were purchased by the Society, but the greater part presented to it. 



4th. The Museum is at present deposited in one of the upper 

 rooms in the College, and as no separate establishment is maintained 

 on account of it, its custody involves no expense to the Society. 

 Either on account of its present location, or because its existence is 

 not generally known, it is very rarely visited, and, as remarked by 

 Major General Cullen, no part of it has yet been turned to any useful 

 practical purpose. 



5th. Unless it is considered absolutely necessary to attach the 

 Central Museum to some Government Department or Institution, the 

 Committee are of opinion that it might be most advantageously con- 

 nected (at least as a temporary and experimental measure) with the 

 Polytechnic Institution,Svith^which it is not impossible that the Li- 

 terary Society may eventually be, to a certain extent, amalgamated. 

 To the connection of the Museum with the Madras University, as 

 suggested by the Honorable the Court of Directors, the Committee 

 think there are numerous objections, in addition to the obvious ones 

 arising from the present disadvantageous situation, as regards pub- 

 licity and facility of access, of the premises now occupied by the Uni- 

 versity, the want of room on them for the accommodation of a Mu- 

 seum, and the absence of any paid functionary or establishment who 

 could undertake the Curatorship of it. The Committee take it for 

 granted that Government will deem it indispensably necessary to di- 

 rect the location of the proposed Central Museum in some place where 

 it may be most available and easy of access to the Public, and to ap- 

 point a duly qualified Curator with an adequate establishment for its 

 custody and preservation ; so that it does not appear that any saving 

 of expense would be occasioned by its being attached to any existing 

 Government Institution or Department. Whatever may be the deci- 

 sion of Government on this point, the Committee would solicit the 

 particular attention of the Most Noble the Governor in Council to 



