Jan, 24.
Tux ardent support given by Mr. Sowerby to the project of a new museum and library for Shanghai was to be expected of him. a naturalist of the first class he knows well the educational value of natural history; and as, in all probability, the greatest living authority China's birds and beasts, he appreciutes the importance of making a thoroughly representative collection of their many species while there is yet time. lurthermore, if only a able building were provided, there is a splendid Inucleus of natural history specimens to lay the foundations of a museum in the Royal Asiatic Society's rooms, where unpromising surroundings now hide them from t of the world. Even the public library has something to begin on, and there is no reason why donors should be less generous with books in Shanghai than in other towns. Such an institute as Mr. Sowerby sketches is usually the outcome of private liberality and the imagination of most of us will not have to travel very far in search of potential benefactors on whom there appears no claim sulficient to deter them from earning the undying gratitude of their fellow-residents by such a gift. But even if we must fall back on that much-pestered milch cow, the Council, ihe institute we dream of does not seem beyond realization, and it would certainly be in line with a policy that the Council long ago laid down and has followed as far as funds allowed.
And in this connexion, there is one sentence in Mr. Sowerby's letter specially to be emphasized "Ts the youth of Shanghai less in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.