W. Anderson, Esq. J. H. A. Branson, Esq. Whitley Stokes, Esq. R. J. Richardson, Esq. E. T. Atkinson, Esq. The following gentlemen were named for ballot as Ordinary Members at the ensuing Meeting. Lieutenant J. H. Urquhart, R. E., proposed by Captain Godwin Austen, seconded by H. F. Blanford, Esq. Dr. J. Anderson, proposed by Dr. Partridge, seconded by W. L. Heeley, Esq. The receipt of the following Communications was announced :1. From Baboo Gopee Nauth Sen; an abstract of the Hourly Meteorological Observations taken at the Surveyor General's Office in September last. 2. From Dr. Stoliczka; a note on Lagomys Curzonie Hodgson. The Secretary read Dr. Stoliczka's paper, of which the following is an abstract :-During a late visit to Eastern Ladak, Dr. Stoliczka had succeeded in procuring several specimens of this animal, one of which had been prepared for the Society's Museum, and was exhibited on the table of the meeting room. Although occurring plentifully in Ladak, this was the first specimen that had reached the Society's Museum. After a detailed description of specimens of different age, &c., and noting the differences which characterized young and adult specimens, Dr. Stoliczka gives an account of the habitat of the species. It does not live usually at a less elevation than 15,500 ft. above the sea. Round the Chomoriri lake it is associated with Phaiomys lucurus and Arctomys bobac. The greatest elevation at which Dr. Stoliczka met with it was 18,672 ft., at the top of the Ladak pass, on the confines of vegetation. Between 15,500 ft. and at the latter elevation, it is very abundant throughout Ladak, and it appears to range far to the Eastward, as Mr. Hodgson obtained specimens from Chumbi, N. W. of Sikhim. Dr. Stoliczka had not observed it south of the Bara Lacha range. In Spiti L. Curzonie is represented by another species, L. Roylei, which ranges between 12,500 and 16,000 ft. On the motion of the Chairman, the thanks of the meeting were voted to Dr. Stoliczka. The Secretary read the following report of the Meteorological Committee of the Society, prefaced by an Introductory Memorandum; also a letter from the Government of India, Military Department, and the resolution of the Council thereupon. INTRODUCTORY MEMORANDUM. The Meteorological Committee of the Society, as it at present exists, was formed on the proposition of Colonel Strachey in April 1857, apparently in the expectation that, as a deliberative body, it would superintend the Collection of Meteorological observations, acting, to quote the words of the original Memorandum, " as a controlling power capable of combining the work of all observers." There are no records of any work having been done by the Committee up to February 1861, when the offer of some self-registering instruments to the Society gave rise to a discussion, which resulted in the resolution, "That it is not desirable for the Society itself to attempt to make Meteorological observations, but that the Council should be recommended to address Government generally, on the importance of establishing a uniform system of Meteorological Observation throughout India, so managed as to admit of proper comparison; and on the means which should be adopted to bring about improvements in existing registers; and generally to further the accurate investigation of Meteorological phenomena." At a subsequent meeting of the Committee in April 1862, Colonel Strachey submitted the draft of a Report in accordance with the above Resolution, and this with slight alterations was sent up to the Council, and laid before the Meeting of the Society in May 1862. In this report, after pointing out the great importance of a knowledge of Meteorological laws, and the direct influence of Meteorological Phenomena on life, health, and property, and adducing the drought and consequent famine of the previous year, as a prominent instance in support of their view, it was shewn that the present system of Meteorological Observation and record is totally inadequate to afford the data requisite for the elucidation of the laws of the climate, or for enabling us to avail ourselves of them even were they known; that while many of the records, now kept, are made with no sufficient attention, and are not susceptible of comparison one with the other, from the very different ways in which they are kept, the value of the whole is very much diminished if not altogether lost, owing to the impossibility of distinguishing the good from the bad. It was further observed that the very essence of the value of such observations is, that they should be brought in relation one with the other, and that this must be done in a regular, systematic, and scientific manner. It was therefore suggested that a Board of the leading scientific men in India should be appointed by Government to make suggestions on this and kindred subjects; and it was conceived that the suggestions of a Board so constituted would be received with thankfulness by Government and all individual observers, and that such recommendations would practically carry with them sufficient weight, to give that spirit and unity of method to all meteorological observation which is so entirely wanting at present, and which is so essential to any real progress in the science and its practical application. The Council, in presenting this report, requested the authority of the Society to address Government in accordance therewith; which authority, after an interesting and animated discussion, was formally accorded. A letter, dated 20th June 1862, was therefore addressed to Government, recommending that a Meteorological Committee should be constituted by Government, on the plan of the Meteorological Committee of the Board of Trade in London, for the advancement of Meteorological Science. In this letter the special importance of Meteorological information in this country was strongly insisted on. "The terrific hurricanes that from time to time have swept over the Sea of Bengal, causing the most calamitous destruction of property in shipping, and carrying death almost to the entire population of whole districts that have been submerged by the storm-wave," were quoted as well-known facts; and it was predicted (a prediction the disastrous fulfilment of which is fresh in the recollection of us all), that such storms would surely be repeated in the future. The horrors of the famine of the previous year, and the importance of any knowledge that would enable us to foresee those terrible calamities, were appealed to as strong arguments for systematic reform of the existing inefficient machinery, and as an instance of the interest which the Government has in the effects of Meteorological phenomena. Other arrangements of a similar character, and tending to the same end, were also adduced; and finally the Council stated that they would be prepared to submit a definite plan without loss of time, should the general views they had expressed be approved by His Excellency the Governor General in Council. The reply of Government to this letter was received in February 1863. The Government intimated that it fully recognized the value of Meteorological observations properly conducted and collated by persons really competent to the task, and that it would afford all reasonable assistance, if a scheme can be devised likely to effect the object desired by the Asiatic Society. Further, the Government would be glad to receive and take into consideration the definite proposals of the Society, concluding that the nature of the observations, and the forms of recording them, will be proposed by the Society with a due regard to the circumstances under which, and the persons by whom, they may have in many cases to be conducted, and also to the great importance of ensuring as far as possible that they may be relied on as accurate. This letter being referred to the Meteorological Committee, the preparation of a draft Report was entrusted to Colonel Strachey, on his intimation that he had a detailed scheme of operations which he wished to recommend to the Society. Colonel Strachey's draft was received in April 1864, but in the interim, viz., in November 1863, a memo. was received from the Military Department, intimating that the Government would be glad to be favoured with an early reply to the previous letter. On the receipt of Colonel Strachey's draft it was at once circulated to the Committee, and a number of alterations were suggested, which, retaining the fundamental propositions of Colonel Strachey's draft, were embodied in a second draft, for circulation to the absent members of the Committee, and others, not members of the Committee, but whose suggestions might, it was thought, be useful to the end in view. It was desired to obtain the fullest expression of opinion on the part of those, who, from their scientific acquirements or their special interest in Meteorology, might be in a position to give important aid to the Committee; and the Draft, as agreed upon by the resident members of the Committee, was therefore printed with half margin, and circulated as already mentioned. To these circulars a number of answers and comments were received, the majority being in full accordance with the terms of the report. These were circulated to the resident members of the Committee, and a meeting was then held, (on the 22nd August,) at which the whole Report was reconsidered, and some slight alterations agreed upon. The Report thus completed was sent up to the Council, and recorded at the meeting held on the 2nd September; but as it was thought desirable that a subject of so much importance should receive the leisurely consideration of the Council, it was ordered to be circulated to the Council, and to be reconsidered at the following meeting. The chief alteration suggested by the Council was, that that part of the Draft which provided for a Board of Meteorology should be struck out, on the ground that the essential requirements of the system were efficient administration, and that it would be undesirable to divide the responsibility between an executive Secretary and a deliberative Board. The report was therefore referred back to the Committee, recirculated and considered at two meetings, and in its final revised form is now submitted by the Council at this meeting of the Society. At the time when these lengthened deliberations were approaching completion, viz., on the 19th October, a letter was received from the Military Department, informing the Society, that "in consequence of a further communication from the Right Hon'ble the Secretary of State, transmitting some suggestions of the War Department, the GovernorGeneral in Council has decided to entrust the consideration of the question to the Sanitary Commission, and does not therefore consider it necessary to trouble the Society any further in the matter. His Excellency desired, however, to convey the acknowledgments of Government to the Asiatic Society for their original offer, and for the trouble they are believed to have taken preparatory to carrying it out." On receipt of this letter, it was decided that the Report be completed as originally intended, and that its submission to the Society be deferred for a month, in order that, should any further information be received respecting this most unexpected communication, it might be submitted to the meeting, together with the Report and the Government letter. No further communication has been received, and the Report is therefore now submitted to the Society, together with all correspondence relating thereto. The following letter was then read : |