14 



The greatest event which has characterized'the advance 

 of this department is undoubtedly the safe arrival of the 

 Aurochs, presented by His Majesty the Emperor of Rus- 

 sia, which were delivered at Memel, on the 12th of Au- 

 gust last, to the Under-keeper, in whose care they still 

 remain. The history of their capture and treatment up to 

 that time will be found in a paper by M. DolmatofF in the 

 Proceedings of the present year. To this gentleman, who 

 so ably carried out the munificent command of the Em- 

 peror, and to Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, through 

 whose influence the attention of His Majesty was directed 

 to the possible success of an experiment which has resulted 

 so favourably for science, the Council have awarded the 

 Silver Medal of the Society, which is now first presented 

 to commemorate the introduction of a new animal into 

 England. 



To Her Majesty the Queen, the Council have again had 

 frequent occasions of addressing the thanks of the Society 

 in acknowledgement of Donations which have afforded 

 continued proofs of Her Majesty's interest in the progress 

 of the Institution, and added very materially to the riches 

 and completeness of the Collection. 



The casualties which have occui-red are fortunately not 

 among the most valuable animals, if we except the two 

 young Lions which died in June and January last, at that 

 critical period of their existence which is always so dan- 

 gerous to Felidae. 



The death of the larger Elephant on the 5th of June was 

 an event which had long been expected, and the extensive 

 disease of the knee-joint from which he had suffered, as 

 well as the uncontrolable state of his temper, render the 

 loss by no means a subject of regret. 



The Council cannot but feel gratified in being able to 

 present in their Nineteenth Report an extraordinary list of 

 sj)ecies exhibited for the first time, and they trust that a 

 continuance of the exertions which have enabled them to se- 

 cure these accessions, though perhaps not always rewarded 

 with equal success, will at all events enable them to pro- 

 vide a constant series of additions to our knowledge of the 

 true character of animals, which can only be acquired by 



