24 THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



sudden and lamented death of their President." In the words 

 of the minute : 



His Grace suggested that under the present depressing circumstances, 

 and at this unfavourable season of the year, it would be inexpedient to 

 take any steps to fill up the vacancy that has occurred with so great a loss 

 to the Society, and proposed that the Vice-Presidents who may be in town 

 during the summer months be requested to superintend the execution of 

 the plans already commenced under the direction of their late President. 



The Society published no other obituary notice. Sir 

 Humphry Davy, in his capacity of President of the Royal Society, 

 of which Sir Stamford was a Fellow, furnished a short biography 

 of his friend and fellow-worker, of which the following paragraph 

 forms part: 



Having lost one splendid collection by fire* he instantly commenced 

 the formation of another ; and having brought this to Europe, he made it 

 not private, but public property, and placed it entirely at the disposal of a 

 New Association t for the promotion of zoology, of which he had been 

 chosen President by acclamation. 



Little beyond draining and planting was done this year in the 

 grounds in the Park ; but work was actively carried on at the 

 Museum in Bruton Street. Addressing the Zoological Club of 

 the Linnean Society on November 29, Mr. Bicheno said : 



The Zoological Society, recently instituted in London, contemplates a 

 more practical cultivation of science than any other which exists. They 

 not only meditate the establishment of a museum, which has already been 

 enriched by the private collection of Mr. Vigors and the Sumatran collection 

 of the late Sir Stamford Raffles ; but every exertion will also be made to 

 obtain an osteological collection, and in the end to establish a Menagerie, 

 Aviary, and Piscina. Every lover of Natural History will rejoice to hear 

 that their Museum will be open to the public in the ensuing spring. 



At the close of the year there were 342 members, whose sub- 

 scriptions, with those received in 1825, amounted to £1,829, and 

 the expenditure was £679. 



* The vessel in which Sir Stamford Raffles embarked for England in 1824 took 

 fire when fifty miles out from Sumatra. The passengers and crew escaped in the 

 "boats, but Sir Stamford's natural history collections and living animals were burnt. 



t The Zoological Society : of this association the author [i.e. Sir H. Davy] was 

 one of the warmest promoters ; he was concerned in forming the plan on which it 

 was established, and the first address to the public, announcing it and soliciting 

 support for it, was from his pen. — " Collected Works of Sir H. Davy," vii. 91 

 Editor's Note. 



