n 



Jtinc 23, 1887] 



NATURE 



187 



lit entirely remote from its sphere. The universal abandon- 



■wX. of the doctrine of fixity of species, which was an article of 



: h with al:Host every zoologist in 1837, has introduced ne«v 



interests, as well, it must be confessed, as new difficulties, the 



extent of which we are only beginning to appreciate. The 



definite systems of classification and methods of nomenclature 



on which our fathers relied utterly fail before the wider 



field of vision which it is the privilege, as well as the 



ibarrassment, of the present generation of zoologists to 



alize. 



lUit it is no part of my intention, in the brief space of time 

 1 which 1 shall ask your patience, to attempt to give a history 

 oi the recent advances of zoological science in general, but only, 

 a-^ requested by your Council, to say a few words on the progress 

 of the particular institution established for its cultivation in 

 which we are personally interested, and the duration of 

 which is so nearly cotemporaneous with that of Her Majesty's 



Before this Society was founded there was no distinct 

 urganization in the country devoted solely to collecting, record- 

 ing, and discussing the facts upon wliich zoological science rests. 

 The dignified parent of all our scientific Societies, the Royal, 

 certainly undertook, as it does still, the discussion of many 

 zoological subjects ; but it could not be expected to treat them in 

 any detail. The Linnean was a Society of great respectability, 

 devoted solely to biological research, both zoological and 

 )tanical, already nearly forty years of age, and possessed of all 

 '.:: usual appurtenances of a scientific organization — meetings, 

 library, and collections for reference. I cannot help thinking 

 that if its leading Fellows had, at that time, displayed more 

 energy, it might have kept in its hands the principal direction of 

 the biological studies of the country, instead of allowing what 

 has since proved so formidable a rival to spring up, and to 

 absorb so large a portion of its useful functions. However, for 

 reasons which it is perhaps not worth while to inquire into now, 

 it did not supply all the needs of the lovers of zoology ; and in 

 the year 1826 an active and zealous band united together, and, as 

 the Charter tells us, "subscribed and expended considerable 

 sums of money for the purpose" of founding the Zoological 

 .Society of London. 



The leading spirit of this band was Sir Stamford Raffles, 

 then just returned from the administration of those Eastern 

 islands of which the history, both natural and political, will ever 

 be intimately associated with his name. He was chosen for 

 the office of President, but his death, on July 4, 1826, de- 

 prived the Society, while yet in its infancy, of his valuable 

 services even some years before it acquired its Charter of In- 

 irporation. In this deed, dated March 27, 1829, Henry, 

 larquis of Lansdowne, is named as the first President of the 

 lartered Society, Joseph Sabine as the first Treasurer, and 

 Nicholas Aylward Vigors the first Secretary. 



The Society appears to have acquired great popularity in a 

 surprisingly short time. The first printed list of Members that 

 I can discover (dated January I, 1829) contains the names of 

 1294 ordinary Fellows and 40 honorary and corresponding Mem- 

 bers. The list is an interesting one from the number of names 

 it includes of persons eminent either in science, art, literature, 

 politics, or social life : indeed, there were not many people of 

 distinction in the country at that time who are not to be found 

 in it. 



A piece of ground in the Regent's Park having been obtained 

 from the Government at little more than a nominal rent, the 

 Gardens wei-e laid out, and opened in 1828, during which year 

 98,605 visitors are recorded as having entered. In the following 

 (the first complete) year there were as many as 189,913 visitors, 

 and this number was increased fn 1831 to 262,193. 



While the menagerie of living animals was being formed in 

 the Regent's Park, the Officers and Fellows of the Society were 

 also engaged in establishing a Museum of preserved specimens, 

 which soon assumed very considerable dimensions. A Catalogue 

 printed as early as the year 1828 contains a classified list of 450 

 specimens of Mammalia alone ; and it continued for many years 

 ■1 attract donations from travellers and collectors in all parts of 

 he world, and became of great scientific importance, inasmuch 

 as it contained very many types of species described for the first 

 lime in the publications of the Society. It was at first lodged in 

 rooms in the Society's house in Bruton Street ; but these be- 

 coming so crowded as to present the "confused air of a store 

 rather than the appearance of an arranged museum," premises 

 were taken in 1836 in Leicester Square ; the same which were 



formerly occupied by the museum of John Hunter before its 

 removal to the College of Surgeons. At this time the Museum 

 is reported to have contained as many as 6720 specimens of 

 vertebrated animals, and numerous additions were still being 

 made both by d6nations and by purchase. The rooms in 

 Leicester Square being found inconvenient for the purpose, it 

 was finally resolved, after considerable discussion of various 

 sites, to transfer the collection to the Gardens in the Regent's 

 Park ; and in 1843 the building which is now occupied as a 

 lecture room on the upper floor and a store-room below was 

 constructed and fitted up for its reception. 



Although the Museum was at one time looked upon as a very 

 important part of the Society's operations, being spoken of as 

 "the centre of the Society's scientific usefulness" (Report of 

 Council, 1837), and one upon which considerable sums of money 

 were spent, it was afterwards a cause of embarrassment from the 

 difficulty and expense of keeping it up in a state of efficiency ; 

 and when the Zoological Department of the British Museum 

 acquired such a development as to fulfil all the objects proposed 

 by the Society's collection, the uselessness of endeavouring to 

 maintain a second and inferior zoological museum in the same 

 city became apparent, and in 1856 it was, as I think very 

 wisely, determined to part with the collection, the whole of the 

 types being transferred to the National Museum, and the re- 

 maining specimens to other institutions where it was thought 

 their value would be most appreciated. 



Another enterprise in which the Fellows of the Society were 

 much interested in its early days was the Farm at Kingston, the 

 special object of which was thus defined : — " It will be useful in 

 receiving animals which may require a greater range and more 

 quiet than the Gardens at the Regent's Park can afford. It is 

 absolutely necessary for the purpose of breeding and rearing 

 young animals, and giving facilities for observations on matters 

 of physiological interest and research, and, above all, in making 

 attempts to naturalize such species as are hitherto rare or un- 

 known in this country." The Farm, however, apparently not 

 fulfilling the objects expected of it, and being a source of ex- 

 pense which the Society could not then well afford, was 

 gradually allowed to fall into neglect, and finally abandoned 

 in 1834.' 



The mention of this establishment, however, causes me to 

 allude to one of the objects on which the Society laid considerable 

 stress at its foundation, and which is defined in the Charter as 

 " the introduction of new and curious subjects of the animal 

 kingdom," but which, as may be gathered from the Annual 

 Reports of the Council and from other documents, meant not 

 only the temporary introduction of individuals for the purpose of 

 satisfying curiosity about their external characters and structure, 

 but also the permanent domestication of foreign animals 

 which might become of value to man, either for their utility 

 in adding to our food-supplies or for the pleasure they afforded 

 by their beauty. 



Abundant illustrations of the vanity of human exi^ectations 

 are aff'orded by the details of the hopes and disappointments 

 recorded in the Reports of the Society relating to this subject. 

 It is mentioned in the Report of the year 1832 that " the 

 armadillo has three times produced young, and hopes are enter- 

 tained of this animal, so valuable as an article of food, being 

 naturalized in this country." More than fifty years have passed, 

 and British-grown armadillo has not yet appeared upon the 

 menu-cards of our dinner-tables. At one time the South- 

 American curassows and guans were confidently looked upon 

 as future rivals to our barn-door fowls and turkeys. Various 

 species of pheasants and other game-birds from Northern India, 

 collected and imported at great expense, were to add zest and 

 variety to the battue of the English sportsman. The great 

 success which for many years attended the breeding of giraffes 

 in the Gardens not unnaturally led to the expectation that these 

 beautiful creatures might become denizens of our parks, or at all 

 events a source of continued profit to the Society ; and it is 

 possible that some who are here now may have been present 

 at the feast for which an eland was s.acrificed, amid loudly- 

 uttered prognostications that the ready acclimatization of these 

 animals would result, if not in superseding, at least in providing 

 a change from, our monotonous round of mutton, beef, and 

 pork. Unfortunately for these anticipations, no giraffe has 

 been born in the Gardens during the last twenty years, and 

 elands are still far too scarce to be killed for food of man in 

 England. 



It is well that these experiments should have been tried ; it 



