5 



age and ventilation, in addition to several minor works and 

 to the ordinary operations in this department, have neces- 

 sarily been much more costly than usual: but the conse- 

 quences of them will doubtless be beneficial both to the 

 Gardens and to the Menagerie, and will thus compensate 

 for the additional outlay that has been incurred on their ac- 

 count. 



The Auditors have further remarked, that the general re- 

 sult of the financial operations of the past year shows an im- 

 provement of about £2000, as compared with the Assets and 

 Liabilities of the preceding year. The precise improvement, 

 as deduced from a comparison of the Auditors' Reports of 

 the two years, being £2034 13*. id.; and the improvement 

 in the four preceding years, as stated in the last Report of 

 the Council, having been £9164 17*. Id.; the total improve- 

 ment in the financial condition of the Society in the five 

 years prior to 1836, has consequently amounted to £11,199 

 10*. od. 



The Auditors have also shown, by a statement in their 

 Report, that the Council have steadily persevered, through- 

 out the year 1835, in the highly advantageous plan, com- 

 menced in July, 1831, of investing one fifth of the Receipts 

 of the Society; and that the amount invested within that 

 year, principally in Reduced 3 per Cents., and partly in the 

 works connected with the Well, has exceeded by nearly £200 

 the amount accruing due to the Investment Fund within 

 the year. There yet remains, however, a considerable sum 

 due to the Fund on account of deficient investments in former 

 years : and, with the engagements at present entered into, 

 it is doubtful whether any large proportion of it can be m- 

 vested in the current year. It is also doubtful whether, in 

 the current year, the system of investment must not be con- 

 sidered as temporarily suspended; the unavoidable expendi- 

 ture for the two great undertakings at present in progress, 

 being so heavy as to require very large returns as a counter- 

 poise to the outlay. 



