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object," i. e. for making a grand collection, but as the things in question are already in the Museum, they are not merely "available" for the object in view, but constitute so much of the object itself already accomplished.

13. The Committee continue, "while waiting for these additions to our collection, he," the Curator, "should proceed to label these already in our possession." It is within the recollection of the Society, that I stated eight months ago, that I could do nothing with the geological collection until cabinets were first provided: these were accordingly sanctioned by the Society, but ordered by the Secretary from a native for less than he could afford to provide them for, the consequence is, that they still remain unfinished. This is an instance of the ill effects of leaving the Curator dependant on the Secretary, or any one else, for things on which his own work depends; and as the circumstance is brought forward rather unfairly in the report of the Committee, I must be permitted to say, that had any member of that body required an easy chair, we may presume he would have obtained it at once, from the best cabinet maker, cost what it might.

14. There is but one name attached to the report which can be at all held responsible in a scientific point of view for the sentiments embodied in it, and although Dr. WALLICH may fairly be exonerated as any great authority on the subject of Museums, yet his own experience ought to have suggested the difficulty of making monthly reports on subjects connected with Natural History, he himself finding a single report too much to accomplish in the five years, that have now elapsed since his return from Assam.

15. From what has taken place on this subject, I have been induced to refer to the rules of various Societies and Museums, in hopes of finding some rules laid down for the duties of Curators. You will doubtless be very much surprised to learn, that though in all cases the duties of Presidents, Vice-Presidents, and Secretaries are strictly laid down in bye-laws, yet Curators alone appear to be the only officers who are left altogether to conduct their duties according to the best of their judgment and acquirements. Were they not the chief authority in all things on which the advancement, arrangement, and preservation of collections of Natural History depend, how could they be held responsible for their charge?

16. The antiquities may be safely left, as far as their "preservation” is concerned, to the "honorary services of the oriental secretary, the librarian, and pundits," but the natural history and geological departments must be left to a naturalist and geologist, for whose services the Society can have no security beyond his own reputation. Nothing could show the necessity of this more than the present attempt to reduce the Curator from that honorable and independent station which he fills in civilized countries, to a state of dependence on the caprice of Committees. I have the honor to be, Gentlemen,

28th Feb. 1840.

Your most obedient servant,

J. M'CLELLAND.

*Here Dr. McClelland is in ignorance of the facts, and consequently makes erroneous statements.-EDS.

The reading of Dr. M'Clelland's letter occasioned much amusement, and called forth some very pointed remarks from the President, Sir Edward Ryan; the Honorable Messrs. H. T. Prinsep and Wilberforce Bird; Mr. Torrens, and others. Messrs. Curnin and Bagshaw suggested that the consideration of the Report be postponed to the next Meeting, but both these gentlemen at the same time disclaimed any defence of the terms and tone of Dr. M'Clelland's letter.

It was than moved by Mr. Bird, seconded by Mr. Piddington, and carried with but two dissentient voices, that the report be adopted, and that the Committee of Papers be empowered to act on the views it contains.*

We are in possession of accurate reports of the observations made by the speakers on this occasion. We refrain from their insertion from motives which, in all probability, will be thoroughly mistaken by Dr. M'Clelland and his friends.-EDs.

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ART. VI.-Meteorological Register, kept at the Surveyor General's Office, Calcutta, for the Month of February, 1840.

Minimum Temperature observed at sun-rise.

Temperature. Wind.

Maximum Pressure observed at 9 H. 50 M.

Temperature. Wind.Į

1069

Observations made at Apparent Noon.

Temperature. Wind.

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Aspect of the sky.

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30,000 66,8 60,0 59,5 Calm. Cirro-strati. ,018 67,7 61,5 60,8 Calm. Scattered Clouds zen. clear. ,021 68,0 65,0 64,0 Calm. Clear. 29,998 64,5 58,0 57,9 Calm. Clear. ,972 68,8 63,0 63,5 Calm. Dense fog. ,960 69,5 64,0 63,9 Calm. Cloudy (Cirro-strati.) ,892 72,5 69,2 70,0 Calm. Scattered Clouds. ,917 73,0 70,5 71,0 N. E. Cloudy and foggy. 30,068 71,5 65,2 63,0 N. E. To the S. Cirro-strati. ,046 71,3 63,9 61,2 Calm. Cloudy (Cirro Cumuli.) ,000 60,9 62,0 62,0 N. E. Cirro-strati. 29,996 71,2 63,0 62,9 Calm. Clear. ,980 70,5 64,0 63,0 Calm. ,920 70,6 63,9 63,0 Calm. ,895 72,6 70,5 71,0 Calm. ,870 72,8 70,0 70,7 Calm. ,907 72,7 69,0 68,0 Calm. ,924 72,5 65,0 63,0 Calm. Clear. ,954 72,9 61,0 61,0 Calm. Clear. ,941 73,0 62,5 62,0 Calm. Clear. ,980 73,5 62,8 61,5 Calm. Clear. 30,000 72,9 66,0 65,5 Calm. Clear. ,000 72,5 61,2 62,5 Calm. Clear.

Cirro Cumuli interspd. zen.
Clear.
Dense fog.
Cloudy and foggy.
Cloudy (Cirro Cumuli.)

,016 74,2 69,0 69,0 Calm. Cloudy and foggy.

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,040 73,0 74,170,0 N.

,056 72,0 76,0 70,0 N. ,056 69,8 73,0 64,8 N.

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,038 70,5 76,8 68,5 e. b. n. Clear.

,000 71,6 74,0 72,0 N... Cloudy and Misty.

,004 72,4 75,8 73,0 W... Cloudy, (Cumulí and Mists.) 29,940 74,0 78,1 75,8 W...

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,022 73,2 81,0 72,9 enebe. Cirro Cumuli and Cirro-strati. 29,956 73,6 81,5 74,9 N. E. Clear.

9,38 76,4 80,0 75,9 s.b. w. Generally Clear.
,902 75,8 80,2 75,3 S. W. Cirro Cumuli.
,920 79,0 83,0 78,5 S.

A few scattered Clouds.
,960 76,2 77,1 75,0 N. W. Clear.
30,020 77,0 82,8 72,0 N. W. Clear.
29,982 76,2 78,8 69,5 N. W. Clear.
30,050 74,9 81,0 69,5 N. Clear.
,042 73,7 80,0 70,9 N. W. Clear.
,062 74,0 78,2 70,0 W. Clear.
,070 76,2 79,5 75,7 W. Clear.

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,918 74,9 81,4 77,2 W. Cumuli detached (sunshine ,990 80,0 85,0 74,9 N. E. Clear.

30,069 73,9 78,2 73,8 w. b. n. Clear.

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,894 77,5 85,0 79,5 S..... Cirro-Strati.

,890 78,2 82,1 73,5 Calm. Clear. ,894 76,5 81,5 72,8 Calm Clear, ,900 75,9 82,2 72,0 Calm. Clear. ,950 76,5 80,0 70,0 Calm, Clear. ,974 76,0 80,5 70,1 Calm. Clear. ,982 75,9 82,8 70,0 Calm. Clear. ,968 78,5 83,7 74,2 Calm. Clear. ,950 80,0 85,4 77,2 Calm. Clear. ,929 80,5 86,0 79,0 Calm. Clear. ,920 81,0 87,5 81,2 Calm. Clear. ,919 81,2 89,5 76,5 Calm. Clear.

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385

684

Coal and Iron Mines of Tálcheer and Ungool, &c. &c., Report on the .. i37 Coal Field of Tenasserim, Papers relative to the New Coel, and on the discovery of Isinglass, Note on the habits of the Copper Mine in Kumaon, Report on the progress made up to the 1st May 1839, in opening the experimental Extracts from the Mohit (the ocean) a Turkish work on Navigation in the Indian seas, Fissirostral Tribe, A new genus of the Fossil Shells found in the Saugor and Nerbudda territories, Fifteen varieties of

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Geographic distribution of the Vulturida, Falconidae, and Strigidæ, 321 Geology, &c., of the country between Bhar and Simla, Remarks on the 1037 Gold Dust and Diamonds at Heera Khoond, Note on the process of washing for the

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Grammar of the Pashtoo, or Affghanee language, A

Grant engraved on Copper, found at Kumbhi in the Saugor Territory, Notice of a

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Gunpowder under water, by the Galvanic Battery, Memorandum on the Explosion of

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1057

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481

851

38

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Hatching, Egyptian system of Artificial Hindoos, Statistical record of the duration of diseases in 13,019 fatal

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cases in Hindoo Females, Note by Dr. Kean of Moorshedabad, on Dr. Stewart's Table of Mortality among Hodgson, Mr., on Cuculus, Indian Cyprinidæ, Extracts from the As. Res. vol. xix. Part ii. on .... Indian Hemp or Gunjah, Extract from a Memoir on the preparations of the

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650

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732, 838 Iron ore of the district of Burdwan, Note on the smelting of the Isinglass in Polynemus sele, Buch., 203 Journey to Beylah, Account of a Journal of the Mission which visited Bootan, in 1837-38, 208, 251 Journey from Calcutta to Sumbulpúr, and from thence to Mednipúr through the Forests of Orissa, Account of a 367, 474, 606, 671 Journal of a trip through Kunawur, Hungrung, and Spiti, undertaken in the year 1838,

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Journal of a Mission from the Supreme Government of India to the Court of Siam..

471

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Mahimnastava, or a Hymn to Shi

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901

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355

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March between Mhow and Saugor, 1839, Mechis, together with a Small Vocabulary of the Language, Note on the

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Medicine in Egypt, Memoir on the Regeneration and actual state of Meteorological Table, 76, 158, 250, 346, 442, 443, 444, 621, 692, 777, 867, 971,

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1069

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