INTRODUCTION. 
3 
tion of Dr. Wallich, paid curators were appointed from time 
to time for longer or shorter periods on salaries ranging from 
Rs. 50 to Rs. 200 a month. In 1836, however, the Society, 
whose resources had, a few years earlier, been crippled by the 
failure of the bankers, Palmer & Co., found itself in financial 
difficulties and memorialized Government for a grant of 
Rs. 200 a month from public funds to enable it to meet the 
salary of the curator. The memorial, which was written by 
Sir Edward Ryan, then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court 
and President of the Society, impressively set forth the 
absolute necessity for the foundation and superintendence, 
quite as much for the furtherance of Science as for the in¬ 
struction of the Indian fellow subjects of the memorialists, of 
a public depositary of the products of Nature in India and 
the surrounding countries, properly preserved, properly 
arranged, and properly applied. But, although the prayer 
of the memorial was limited to a grant of the modest sum of 
Rs. 200 a month, the Governor General in Council expressed 
their inability to accede to the request without reference to 
the Court of Directors, who were, as was pointed out, incurring 
considerable expense in keeping up a Museum and Library at 
the India House. It was conceded, however, that a Museum 
in this country could not be established by voluntary sub¬ 
scriptions nor maintained in the creditable and useful con¬ 
dition necessary for the attainment of the object desired, 
unless aided liberally by the Government, in like manner as 
similar institutions in Europe were supported from the public 
treasury. The members of the Society, however, were per¬ 
sistent in their demand, and presented a second petition for a 
temporary grant, pending reference to the Home authorities 
on the subject of the extension of the Museum and its 
conversion into a public institution; fortunately, this appli¬ 
cation was granted. 
Dr. J. T. Pearson of the Bengal Medical Service was 
appointed curator and was succeeded, after a brief tenure of 
office, by the distinguished ichthyologist. Dr. McClelland. 
Meanwhile, the memorial of the Society for the formation of 
a National Museum at the cost of the State had been sent to 
the Home authorities, strongly supported and recommended 
