Regulations Made Under Section 17 of the Zoological Society of London Act, 1928
Copy of a letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirming exemption from entertainments duty of ZSL's Lectures
Draft of proposed address of loyalty to His Majesty King George VI
Dec 15 1844
To the Trustees of the British Museum
My Lords and Gentlemen,
With reference to my recent letter to your address relative to my zoological collections and researches I have the honor to inform you that, my immediate return to India having just been decided on, I conceive it to be on many accounts most desirable that I should carry back with me my original Drawings as well as my Notes and Memoranda, leaving only my finished series of drawings together with the whole of my specimens in the possession of the Museum to be appropriated and distributed as already proposed.
- Accordingly I now request that my first proposition to you, my Lords and Gents. may be modified upon this plan because, in order to enable me on my return to India to resume and complete my zoological researches with the greatest rapidity and effect I shall need the whole of my original drawings and Notes, while my departure is so near that no time is left for any further proceedings in conjunction with the proposed Nominee of the Museum than the transfer to him of the specimens; and, indeed, to ensure that transfer being satisfactorily made it had become indispensable that not a moment be lost in the selection and despatch to Canterbury of the said Nominee.
- I beg leave therefore to solicit an early decision upon this point; for the specimens to be disposed of are exceedingly numerous and valuable and have been collected at so great a cost that it is most desirable their dispersal should be adjusted as far as possible before my departure.
- Of the series of finished drawings which I propose to present to the Museum a considerable number have been lent to an Artist of the name of Howard who [proposed?] their publication but has now desisted from that intention I recommend that steps be immediately taken by the Museum to recover possession of these drawings which were lent to Mr. Howard after they had been deposited in the Museum to which they are now presented by me, their sole and absolute owner.
- The small portion of the series which is unfinished, shall be transmitted by me from India as soon as may be, it being no longer possible to have them finished in London as before suggested by me.
- I return to India with the full purpose of effectively completing those researches which my sudden departure thence so sadly interrupted, and, in order, to their completion in the most satisfactory manner, I beg leave to suggest that some competent officer of the Museum be placed in communication with me and be authorised and directed to be [concert/consort?] which was mentioned in the prior letter, it being my anxious wish still to carry out, with the sanction and support of the Trustees, the complete original idea of an Illustrated Fauna of Nepal and Tibet based on these drawings; and I would accordingly hereby solicit the separate favourable consideration of the Trustees for that eventual undertaking which with the patronage of the British Museum would be extensively aided by subscriptions in India where when by sudden departure dislocated all my plans these drawings had already attracted general admiration owing to their extraordinary Zoological accuracy and to the quality of collateral illustrations of the habits and manners as well as the structures of species which they embrace and the fruit of years of continuous toil aided by the unique and irrevocable opportunities
I have [the honor to be]
Yrs
B.H. Hodgson
Late Minister at The Court of Nepal
Canterbury Dec '27 1844
J.E. Gray Esq
Keeper Zoological Dept
British Museum
Sir,
With reference to the series of my drawings presented to the British Museum I have the honor to state to you that on refering to my own original drawings from which those above averted to were copied for transmission to England, I find the original Drawings to be in number as follows
2/ Anatomical and quasi anatomical
- Mammals - 94 108 Sheets
Birds - 14
Ordinary or Non-Anatomical - Mammals
Bats 7 Sheets
Quadrupeds 245 Sheets
111 Birds
Old and new Series 826 Sheets
IV Fishes, Snakes, Lizards
Frogs and Tortoises 24 Sheets
3/ Of the above a nearly complete Series of Nos 11 and 111 were transmitted to England in regular numerical order on the smaller scale of about 20 inches by 12, and, previously there had been sent more than half of the series of [ruder] execution and upon a much larger scale.
4/ Of the anatomical series or No. 1 only portions were sent to England, and frequently in connexion with the Drawings of the species in question So also of the series No 1V only a small portion was ever transmitted.
5/ Nevertheless the total of drawings transmitted from India exceeded what would seem to have been received by you ad the deficiency in your series appears to be so great particularly in the small sized drawings that I am led to request you will be pleased to give me a fresh and a careful Statement of all the Drawings you possess distinguished into greater and lesser sized ones, with the additional information when and whence you received them.
6/ You will kindly let me have this information as soon as possible in order that I may institute inquiries myself at the several channels of transmission
7 you have recently received from me 52 sheets of Birds and 10 of Mammals and I have this day delivered to your [Apt.?] 19 more sheets of Birds and 1 of mammals these which are the [sequel?] of the small series and ought nearly to complete it you will be pleased to include in your Statement as above requested.
8/ There can be no question that a considerable number of Drawings despatched from India is not forthcoming at present if I may judge by the rough Memo left with me by you for my species amount to 823 as per margin
Nepal Mammals 126
Birds 656
Tibet Mammals 47
and, not to mention that the larger Series of Drawings was far advanced in the copying when the lesser series was began there was not only a nearly complete series on the smaller scale transmitted to England (inclusive of those delivered at Canterbury as above noted) but also several repeated and amended delineations of the same species in that series, particularly among the quadrupeds; and lastly, in the new and small series of Drawings there were seldome more than one species delineated on the same sheet, so that there should be on the whole pretty nearly as many sheets as species
I have the honor to be
Signed
B.H. Hodgson
British Museum
23rd Jan 1845
To B. H. Hodgson Esq[ui]re
Sir,
I am directed by the Trustees to acknowledge your letter of the 3rd inst. and to offer you their especial thanks for the liberal addition you have made to your former extensive presents to the Museum. The Trustees have directed the Keeper of Zoology to select and receive into the Collections under his charge such of our osteological specimens as may be usefully retained in the Museum, and to take your instructions as to the disposal of the remainder. I am to beg the favor of knowing the names of the various persons referred to in your letter as being in possession of part of the Drawings presented by you to the Trustees
To Mr. Frank Howard, mentioned in your former Correspondence the Trustees have already made application on the subject
I have the honor to be
Sir
your most obedient
humble Servant
J. Forshall
Secretary
Canterbury Feby 4 1845
To the Revd J. Forshall
Secretary British Museum
Sir
I have the honor to acknowledge your letter of the 23 ult. relative to my Zoological collections
-
With reference to the extent of these collections recently, and formerly delivered, it may conduce to future convenience if the Keeper of the Zoology be directed to submit to the Trustees a summary statement showing the totals of what has been received by the Museum, what retained by it, and what distributed elsewhere, in the shape of skins, bones, or Drawings.
-
The following are the parties to which I wish the duplicate skins to be transmitted, in the order in which they are set down. India House, Leyden, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Edinbro, Dublin, Newcastle, Canterbury, Manchester, The Earl of Derby.
-
The duplicate bones, I wish to be delivered to the Royal College of Surgeons, London, to The Zoological Society, London and to the other parties above named and in the same order, as far as the specimens go
-
Letters are prepared by me to accompany these specimens, and I only wait your Keeper's report of what is available and the receipt of the Catalogue he is engaged to furnish, in order to deliver these letters.
-
With regard to the missing Drawings presented to British Museum, I have the honor to state that I have recovered and delivered to your Keeper, sixty-five of them and that the following are the parties (beside Mr. Howard) from whom more of them may be expected to be obtained. The Royal Asi[atic] Society, The Zoological Society, Sir Alex Johnston, Professor H. H. Wilson.
-
Mr Howard, I find it as length forthcoming and admits having a complete set of the Mammal Drawings which however he attempts to retain possession of under pretext the futility of which Mr. Hawkins of your Museum can establish. No time should be lost in recovering these drawings from Mr. Howard.
I have the honor to be
Sir
your most obt. Servant
B. H. Hodgson
Late Minister at the Court of Nepal
East India House
Sir
I have laid before the Court of Directors of the East India Company your letter of the 25th ultimo tendering for their acceptance duplicate specimens of your extensive Collection of the Zoology of Nepal and Tibet. In reply I am commanded to convey to you the acknowledgements and thanks of the Court for this offer, which they have much pleasure in accepting. The Court are gratified by the opportunity of adding to their Museum and Collections acquired by so much Scientific Research and appropriated wit so much public spirit.
I am
Sir
Your most obedient
humble Servant
M.W.
The Lodge
Tewkesbury
May 23 1845
My dear Sir
I was much obliged by your last communication announcing your very handsome donation to me of 205 specimens of Birds. These will be of the highest interest to me as being original and authentic types of the numerous novelties which you have described in various works. I hope to be in London about the middle of June and to see you then.
Ever yours
very sincerely
H.E. Strickland
To B. H. Hodgson
Metcalf Hall, Calcutta
4 August 1848
My dear Sir
I have the pleasure to enclose you a few further remarks from Mr. Frith with reference to your last interesting communication regarding the Wild silk worm of the Saul forests.
I have not forgotten your request for seeds which shall be complied with fully immed[iatel]y the Society's annual consignments arrive:- in the meantime I have sent you a small assortment of acclimated vegetable seeds, enclosed in a bag/box which I despatched by dak banghy to Dr. Campbell a few days since
Yrs very truly
James Hume
To B.H. Hodgson Esq.