THE MUSEUM OF THE SOCIETY. 
163 
It would have been a great advantage if I could have seen you at the 
museum, which I hoped to have done yesterday, but if you are not 
likely to be at the museum soon, I shall be glad to wait upon you at 
any time you may appoint. 
I have the honour to be Sir, your obedient servant, 
Martin Simpson, Curator. 
Mr. Simjysio?} to Mr. Emhleton. 
Whitby, Augmt 16th, 18J^2. 
Sir, 
I found it necessary to come over here without waiting for the 
council meeting. I have been negotiating with the Whitby Philo- 
sophical Society for an exchange of specimens, by which I hope both 
museums will be greatly benefited. They have a large collection of 
duplicates but they are unarranged, and I shall have them to select. 
I shall get what I can, but to examine the whole would be almost 
equal to arranging their museum, a work much heavier than I can of 
course undertake. They will be glad to receive our remains of fishes 
and plants. Since coming here I have had an expedition 12 or 14 
miles into the country, to a bed of the Inferior Oolite {Dogger), and 
obtained nearly 1000 specimens, some of them rare and valuable, but 
the greater part, as may be expected, are duplicates, many of these 
and the inferior specimens I shall endeavour to leave here, and get 
for them what I can. It is a pity our funds are not better, that we 
might have purchased the rarer species, but we must be content for 
the present. The plants of the sandstone beds I fear are beyond my 
reach. The Lias fossils are scarce along the coast, all being sold to 
the dealers. 
Yours truly, 
Martin Simpson. 
New cases were added to the museum in the latter part of 1842, 
at a cost of £38 os., for the accommodation of the ever increasing 
collection of fossils. In September the Hon. Secretary, Mr. Wilson, 
resigned his office, and Mr. J. Travis Clay, of Rastrick, was appointed 
his successor. When Mr. Simpson had held his post for one year, a 
meeting of the Council was called to consider the propriety of con- 
tinuing the expense of a paid curator. The meeting was held on the 
