1894. ADDRESS TO THE MUSEUMS' ASSOCIATION. 27 



last few years its operations have been in abeyance, no meetings 

 having been held. 



The Royal Zoological Society of Ireland. 

 This Society, founded in the year 1832, though not ostensibly 

 connected with the formation of a museum, has in two capacities 

 contributed very materially to the acquisition of specimens, besides 

 which it may be claimed for it that it has in a very important degree 

 served to maintain a vigorous interest in practical zoology in our 

 midst. Here first, for instance, was the practicability demonstrated 

 of exhibiting living pictures to the public of the subaqueous 

 existences of the lower orders of animal life. In spite of subsequent 

 claims which have been made, it is known to those competent to 

 speak with authority that the late Dr. Robert Ball invented, and so 

 far back as 1854 P^^ i^ practice at the Zoological Gardens, the 

 system of Aquaria which has since received such a wonderful develop- 

 ment throughout the world. The original building in which the tanks 

 were let into the wall and were aerated by an ingenious device, still 

 exists in the gardens, though now used for another purpose. Of the two 

 ways in which the Zoological Society has contributed to the formation 

 of Museums the more obvious is, of course, in the supply of specimens 

 of animals which have died in the gardens. Of them a goodly number 

 have found their way either to the Museum of Trinity College, that 

 of the College of Surgeons, that of the Dublin Society, or its successor 

 the Science and Art Museum. Not only have specimens for stuffing 

 been thus provided, but anatomical subjects, including anthropoid 

 apes, the larger carnivora and elephants, have, in the hands of 

 Haughton, Macalister, Cunningham, and others, afforded most 

 important results. As the recipient of donations and bequests of 

 collections and valuable specimens, which have been transferred to 

 our Museum, the Zoological Society also deserves to be mentioned. 

 And in this connection the magnificent and unique specimen of 

 Plesiosauriis cramptoni, presented by the late Sir Philip Crampton, and a 

 fine collection of Irish birds, bequeathed by the late Thomas W. 

 Warren, may be referred to. 



Natural History Society of Dublin. 



This Society was founded in 1838 for the sole object of eluci- 

 dating the natural history of Ireland. It was proposed to effect this 

 by making a standard collection of specimens and by holding 

 meetings. The collections grew rapidly, and they were for a time 

 open to the public ; but financial pressure rendered it impossible to 

 continue this and, at the same time, meet the cost of publishing 

 the papers read at the meetings. 



In the Proceedings of the Society for November 13, 1857, 

 and Nat. Hist. Rev., vol. v., 1858, there will be found an enumeration 

 of the specimens contained in the Museum. 



By the close of the year i86g the Society was obliged, by want 



