Zoologic wl Society. 69 



of His Majesty's principal officers i of state — a man, whose qualities of 

 head and heart have rarely been equalled, never surpassed j and of 

 whom both the Society and the B ritish nation may honestly be proud. 

 Such a Monarch and such a Minis ter will never be backward to further 

 the interests of Science, when paramount claims shall happily cease to 

 divert the current of national treasure into other channels, and when 

 increasing prosperity shall relax the strict bands of public ceconomy, 

 by which their natural impulses are at present checked and circum- 

 scribed. If proof be wanting to support this assertion, we need only 

 turn our eyes a short space northward, for indisputable evidence of the 

 inclination of His Majesty's Government to further the views of the 

 Zoological Society : and it is peculiarly gratifying to me to inform 

 you, that in addition to the ground already allotted for the gardens 

 and vivaria, final arrangements haive been very recently completed, 

 for the grant of the lake and its islands in the Regent's Park, for the 

 purposes of breeding, rearing, and preserving water-fowl and other 

 aquatic animals j and for a plot of ground for the erection of suitable 

 offices and farm-yards, for breeding - and domesticating poultry, &c. 

 The right of entree has also been granted to the Members of the Zoo- 

 logical Society, to the walks and ornamental grounds on the West 

 side of the Regent's Park next to the lake 3 — all, privileges of essential 

 importance to the Society, and gratifying proofs of the interest that 

 His Majesty's Government takes in its welfare. 



" As an accurate and sufficiently minute account of the valuable 

 additions that have lately been made to the Society's Menagerie and 

 Museum appears in the last Number of the " Zoological Journal," it 

 would be superfluous to dwell on them in this place. I shall there- 

 fere merely state, that among the latter, stands conspicuous the ex- 

 tensive collection of its lamented founder, the late Sir Thomas Stam- 

 ford Raffles, particularly rich in those rare animals, only lately known 

 to science, from the eastern islands 5 as the male and female Probos- 

 cis Monkey (Simia jiasica, Linn.) — a new species nearly allied to it, — 

 the Malay Bear (Helarctos Malay anm, Horsf.) y different species of 

 Tupaia, and of the other new genera Mydaus, Ictides, Gymnura, &c. 

 The Birds include most of the splendid species of Sumatra, particu- 

 larly the gallinaceous fowls. Various new and interesting species are 

 also found among the Fishes, Reptiles, Insects, and Zoophytes. 

 Various other valuable animals have been added by the members" and 

 friends of the Society : but the most conspicuous of the late acquisi- 

 tions is a fine specimen of the Ostrich, graciously presented by His 

 Majesty. In the menagerie and gardens nearly two hundred living 

 animals are exhibited in suitable paddocks, dens, and aviaries j as 

 two beautiful Llamas, from the Duke of Bedford and Mr. Robert 

 Barclay y a Leopard, the gift of Lord Auckland ; Kangaroos, a Rus- 

 sian Bear, Ratel, Ichneumons, &c. &c. j besides a pair of Emus, 

 Eagles, Cranes, Gulls, Gannets, Corvorants ; various Gallinaceous 

 Birds, and many others. 



" The number of Members, whose names are inscribed in the books 

 of the Zoological Society, amounts this day to 685." 



XII. /«- 



