THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 27 



On April 24 Lady Raffles transferred Sir Stamford's Sumatran 

 collection to the Society's Museum, stipulating that every subject 

 should be distinguished by a particular mark, and that a separate 

 catalogue should be printed. The property was to remain vested 

 in the representatives of the late President, and in the event of 

 any breach in the Society to revert to the family. Thereupon 

 Lady Raffles was elected an Honorary Member — the only lady 

 who has received that distinction. 



The Anniversary Meeting was held on May 19 at the Rooms 

 of the Horticultural Society. According to the Gentleman's 

 Magazine (1827, i. 443) it was very numerously attended, and 

 among those present were Earl Spencer, the Earls of Malmesbury 

 and Carnarvon, Lord Auckland, the Marquis of Carmarthen, the 

 Bishop of Bath and Wells, Sir Everard Home, Sir Robert Heron, 

 M.P., Sir John de Beauvoir, and Mr. Baring Wall, M.P. The 

 President announced that the works in the Regent's Park were 

 rapidly advancing ; the walks were laid out and partly made, and 

 pheasantries and aviaries, with sheds and enclosures for some of 

 the rarer animals, in active progress. The number of subscribers 

 exceeded 500 and was daily increasing, and "it was expected 

 that the gardens would possess sufficient interest to authorise 

 the opening of them during the ensuing autumn." 



At this time there were no scientific meetings, but the 

 monthly business meetings gradually assumed something of that 

 character. Donations to the Museum were exhibited and briefly 

 described ; and the following extract shows that formal com- 

 munications might be made, though the Society as yet possessed 

 no organ for publication : 



June 22, 1827. — This evening C. B[onaparte] called with some 

 gentlemen, among whom were Messrs. Vigors, Children, Featherstone- 

 haugh, and Lord Clifton. My portfolios were opened before the set of 

 learned men, and they saw many birds they had not dreamed of. Charles 

 offered to name them for me, and I felt happy that he should ; and with 

 a pencil he actually christened upwards of fifty, urging me to publish 

 them at once in manuscript at the Zoological Society.* 



In July the plan of Decimus Burton was lithographed for 

 distribution. This showed the proposed arrangement of the 

 ground, and the style and location of the different houses, sheds, 



* "Audubon and his Journals," i. 257. 



