'THE SHANGHAI MUSEUM, Extracts from Minutes of Meeting No. 4 of ig Meston Committee, held ut the Asiatic iety's Rooms, 28rd February, 1875.
Present—Moxsrs. Medhurst, Cor Kingsmill, Quokett, and Hawtrey, a1 Pryer, Hon, Secy.
Minutes of last meeting read.
The Hon, Srcrerary: lat of contri: butions from Messrs. Harvie, Taylor, Mil-40m, Brandt, G. de St, Croix, Dumaresq, J. H, Mackenzie, Maltoau, Hamilton, Walker, Russell, Ramsay, Hawtrey, Ballantine, J. Cooper, and W. Cooper, since the meeting of the '9th inst.. Several birds, including one or tivo species fresh to the Museum, had been sent anonymously, One of the most interesting of the contributions was a hen pheasant given by Mr, Yeshing' It is believed to be Malteau, shot by hin in the reeds by the cal with a pheasant Swinhoe at Ningpo, about three years ago.
posed to be the firs! acord of any pheasant but' the common P. Torquatus having been obtained during 8 shooting trip from Shanghai. The cock by Mr. Forrest about two month ago from the Ningpo lakes) is also in the Museum, Three specimens of the Chinese wild boar had been presented two of them were in course of being set up, and one was going to be sent to England for examination. Mr. Hawtroy drew tion to the desirability of contributors fiving exact information as to the precise locality from whence the specimens were obtained. Birds apparently of the same Species, from local little apart even the north and south of the Tai-Hu lake frequently varied in their plumage.
The present accommodation for specimens being so small, it was decided to have one large coze the whole length of the back wall. There was some discussion as to whether the framework should be iron or wood, and the matter finally was left entirely' in Mr. Kingsmill's hands.
Mr, Mzpuuxsr drew attention to the rapidly increasing value of the collections, and suggested that they should be insured, which was agreed to, The Hon. SeckeTary mentioned that he had put upo collection of Shanghai anakes in long glass tubes, which had been made in Shanghai by a China-nian specially for the purpose, and had named as many of them as he could; they would be round at the Museum ina day ortho. 'The tigers' skulls which he had bought were being cleaned under perienced superintendence of Mr. Sch and would also shortly be on exhibition He (the Hon. Secy.) lad opened communication with the village these tigers' heads ere said to come from, and the Chinese j had offered to send down a dead tiger entire, of not less than 400 Ibs, weight, for $200. would like to go up and find out for himself what truth to attach to these stories, Phere was some discussion about the form of label to be adopted for the specimens, and it was decided that all well ascertained species should have their names attached at once, but that any there were the slightest doubt about, should be sent to England for identification.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.