32 NATURAL SCIENCE. july. 



to the extent of threatening to withdraw the annual grant of ;^6,ooo, 

 in order to induce the Society to consent to open the Botanic Gardens 

 at Glasnevin on Sundays. At last the Society consented, and on 

 Sunday the i8th August, 1861, the first opening took place, and the 

 total attendance for the first twelve Sundays amounted to 78,132. 



In 1862 a report on the Society was drawn up b}' a special com- 

 mittee, in which its position and its past relations with several 

 departments of the Government were discussed, and the question as 

 to whether it was a private body or a public institution, chartered for 

 the administration of public funds, was specially dealt with. In this 

 same year a Treasury Commission was appointed to inquire into 

 the Society and other analogous institutions in Dublin, which 

 were supported wholly, or in part, by public grants, and to report 

 thereon. 



During the year 1863 the enlargement of the powers of the 

 Council by charter, and a proposal for amalgamation with the Museum 

 of Irish Industry, which had been founded in the year 1845, were 

 discussed. 



In consequence of the lack of funds for additional case accommo- 

 dation, very slight progress was made during the year in the permanent 

 arrangement of the Museum. The Society presented a special 

 memorial for the grant of a sum of money for perfecting the several 

 institutions as follows : — 



Museum of Natural History ... ... ;^4,5oo 



Library ... ... ... ... ... 1,000 



Botanical Museum and Garden, Glasnevin 1,000 



Agricultural Department ... 3,000 



Total ... ... ... ... ... ;^g)5oo 



This sum, it was understood, had been considered requisite by the 

 Treasury Commission, which had reported as above in 1862. The 

 delay in its recommendation to Parliament arose from the fact that 

 the question of the future position of the Museum of Irish Industry 

 was still under consideration. 



In 1864 a Parliamentary Select Committee assembled, on the 

 20th April, to enquire into the Scientific Institutions of Dublin which 

 received aid from the State. One object of this enquiry was to obtain 

 a revision of the Treasury Report of 1862, and of certain recommen- 

 dations therein specified, the most prominent of which were : — 



I. The amalgamation of the Museum of Irish Industry with the 

 Royal Dublin Society, and the reduction of the staff of lecturers and 

 teachers. 



II. The amalgamation of the pecuniary grant to the Royal 

 Dublin Society. 



In 1867, Dr. Alexander Carte being then the Directorof theNatural 

 History Museum, the staff was increased by the appointment of two 



