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PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

ASIATIC SOCIETY OF BENGAL,

FOR JANUARY, 1862.

The Annual General Meeting of the Asiatic Society was held on the 15th instant.

A. Grote, Esq., President, in the chair.

The following resolution proposed by Sir Bartle Frere and seconded by Captain W. N. Lees, was carried unanimously.

That this meeting not having been called in strict accordance with Rule 46, the meeting resolves that the present shall be held to be the Annual Meeting,

The following gentlemen duly proposed at the last meeting were balloted for, and elected ordinary members.

Major D. Briggs (re-elected), G. E. Ward, Esq., C. S., and W. King, Junior, Esq.

The following gentlemen were named for ballot at the next meeting.

Colonel H. Torrens, proposed by the President, seconded by Sir B. Frere.

Captain E. Smyth, proposed by the President, seconded by Mr. Atkinson.

Baboo Gour Doss Bysack, proposed by the President, seconded by Baboo Rajendralal Mitra.

Colonel C. S. Guthrie, Bengal Engineers, proposed by Mr. Atkinson, seconded by the President.

The Secretary read the following Report for 1861.

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ANNUAL REPORT.

In submitting their annual report on the state of the Society's affairs during the past year, the Council have again the satisfaction of adverting to its generally promising character.

The number of elections during 1861, has been fifty-one, being less by eighteen than that of the preceding year, but considerably exceeding the general average (16) of the previous ten years.

At the same time, two members have been lost to the Society by death, and nine by retirement. Deducting these, the number of ordinary members on the rolls at the end of the year was 281 against 242 in 1860.

Of the ordinary members now on the rolls, 55, or about one-fifth are absent from India, leaving 226 on the paying list.

Ordinary. Paying. Absent.

The table in the margin shows the fluctuation in the number of members during the last ten years. The only corresponding member elected during the year is Dr. R. Gosche of Berlin.

6

1851 130

124

1852 139

122

17

1853 146

123

23

1854 155

129

26

1855 162

128

34

1856 167

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Among those who have been lost
to the Society by death, the Council
have to record with much regret,
the name of Col. R. Baird Smith,

C. B. The unceasing interest which
Col. Baird Smith, evinced in all

scientific questions connected with India, naturally led him to take
an active part in the affairs of the Society, and to forward its
objects whenever opportunity offered. In him the Society has to
deplore the loss of a scientific scholar of high attainments, and a
frequent contributor to its Journal.

Mr. Freeling, who also died within the year, was an able numismatist and a zealous member.

FINANCE.

The financial position of the Society may, on the whole, be regarded as satisfactory.

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Contributions.

1851

8583

5

1852

6373

1

3

1853

7778

1854 7082

1855 7166

1856 8096

1857 7068

1858 6923

1859

6750

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The total amount of subscriptions realizable from the 226 paying members now on the rolls-107 Residents and 119 non-residentsat the rates of Rs. 48 and Rs. 24 respectively, is Rupees 7,992. The subscriptions actually realized including arrears of previous years have, however, only amounted to Rupees 6,812. This sum though in excess of the collections of 1860, falls short of the average collections of the last ten years (as shewn in the margin)

The average of which is

by about Rs. 400.

11

Rs. 7,226-2-3

The assets of the Society amount to Rs. 7,431-9-8 exclusive of the

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amount of outstanding claims Rupees 6,639-8-6 the greater portion of which (as shewn in the margin)* is on account of arrears of contributions. The liabilities amount to Rs. 4,539-5-4 chiefly on account of printing.

The estimate of the probable income and expenditure of the Society

for the ensuing year is as follows:

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The Library has received an addition of about 450 volumes, during the past year, the greater part of which are presentations from various learned and scientific institutions and individuals with whom the Society is in correspondence. Some Oriental works have been purchased and a few scientific periodicals and Reviews.

COIN FUND.

The numismatic collection has received no addition of moment during the period under review, some duplicate copper and silver coins of the later Mahomedan kings of India, have been sold, and other coins principally Bactrian, have been purchased.

Exchanges which will fill several gaps in this interesting series of medals, are now being made with Colonel Cunningham, and the Coin Committee are taking advantage of Mr. E. C. Bayley's presence in Calcutta, to introduce some order into their Cabinet.

MUSEUM.

The accessions to the Museum during the last year have been varied and interesting.

The most important of these additions is an extensive collection of casts chiefly facial, illustrative of the various races of India and Central Asia, prepared by the enterprising travellers Messrs. de Schlagintweit. This valuable collection has been transferred to the Society's Museum from the Medical College by order of Government. For the better arrangement and display of these casts, several new stands and frames have been prepared. A small selection of twenty. casts from the series had previously been presented to the Society by Herr R. de Schlagintweit.

In the Mineralogical department has been added several magnificent aerolites which fell on the 12th of May last in the district of Goruckpore. Five fragments of this fall have been received, speci

mens of which are about to be sent to the British Museum in exchange for specimens of other aerolites.

Mr. Blanford has completed a descriptive and illustrated catalogue of the Society's collection of fossil remains, chiefly consisting of Cephalopoda, from the beds of the Spiti valley.

The catalogue of mammalia, the Council are again sorry to report, has not been completed. This is chiefly to be ascribed to the serious illness and consequent prostration of strength of the Curator, Mr. Blyth, which has obliged him on two occasions to seek a change of climate. He obtained on this account five months' leave of absence during the year.

The Council regret that the condition of the museum remains unimproved. Relying on the known disposition of Government both here and at home, to aid the Society in the preservation of their valuable collection at all events till the question of the establishment of an Imperial museum should be finally disposed of, the Council addressed the Home Secretary on the 20th April last to press on the reconsideration of Government, their previous application for an additional grant of Rs. 200 per month, but up to the close of the year no reply was received.*

The Council are glad to observe that the museum continues to be an object of considerable public interest and attraction. The annexed memo. will show that the average No. of visitors exceeds 250 diem.

NATIVES.

Males,

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Females,

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EUROPEANS.

Males,

Females,

Total,

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82524
4495

2941
1603

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91563

The average being 251 per day.

per

Having learnt that her Majesty's Government had issued orders to stop the publication of the catalogues of the Zoological collections in the late India House Museum which were in course of preparation, the Council have addressed a letter to the Right Hon'ble the Secretary of State for India, soliciting that the question may be further considered, and that this useful series of publications may be proceeded with and completed. No answer to this application has yet been received.

JOURNAL.

Three Nos. of the Journal have been published during the year, and a fourth is in the press. They contain papers of considerable * The additional grant solicited has since been given.

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