26 



objects of the Society, and the Council will spare no trouble 

 to accomplish so desirable an end ; but whatever interest 

 may attach to the experiment in a scientific or economical 

 point of view, it may reasonably be doubted whether this 

 department can ever become a source of pecuniary emolu- 

 ment to the Society, or repay the expenses necessarily in- 

 curred in supporting it. Still the Council will not relax in 

 their efforts to fulfil the rational hope expressed by the 

 Committee of Auditors, on a subject of so much interest to 

 the Society at large, and which may possibly prove to be of 

 national utiUty. The increased accommodation which has 

 been provided for the breeding of the ornamental species 

 of Water Fowl, has been already noticed ; and the attention 

 of the Council is now directed to the propagation of the 

 Guans and Curassows, those Gallinaceous birds which sup- 

 ply the place of the Pheasants and Peacocks in the forests 

 of South America, and which, from their size and beauty, 

 and the superior delicacy of their flesh, are likely, at no di- 

 stant period, to form a valuable accession to our poultry- and 

 farm-yards. Hitherto, the limited accommodation which the 

 Gardens supply for this purpose has in a great measure 

 defeated their expectations ; but arrangements have been 

 lately made with a distinguished Member of the New Coun- 

 cil, for sending a few pairs of the Society's extra stock to 

 the country, where they will liave the advantage of enlarged 

 and superior accommodation, and it is hoped that the experi- 

 ment will not disappoint the reasonable expectations of the 

 Council. 



Under the head of the Breeding department must be no- 

 ticed the birth and death of the young Giraffe in June last, 

 and the Council have seldom been called upon to record an 

 event which at once created so lively an interest, and ended 

 in so much disappointment to the Members of the Society 

 and the public at large. It was the first instance on record 

 in which these animals have ever been known to breed in 

 confinement ; the young creature itself appeared in perfect 

 health, and was playful and lively till within a few hours of 

 its death, which took place on the ninth day, from a sudden 

 attack of inflammation ; and which there is good reason to be- 



