THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 95 



In 1842 the attendance of a Fellow to introduce friends to 

 the Gardens was dispensed with. Owen raised the question, and 

 a committee was appointed to consider the subject. On their 

 recommendation a book, indexed alphabetically, was kept at the 

 office, and in it any Fellow might inscribe his name and those 

 of the persons he wished to introduce on the following Sunday. 

 The book was taken to the Gardens on the Saturday evening 

 for use by the gatekeepers. The plan had not the merit of 

 simplicity, and was soon dropped. 



The band question was discussed the next year. The Council 

 had received suggestions that : 



The addition of a military band to play in the Gardens on certain 

 Saturdays in the months of May, June, and July might be the means of 

 maintaining and even increasing the interest which the public have so 

 long manifested in the Gardens. 



A committee reported in favour of the proposal, which was 

 not carried into effect till 1844, when the Promenades were 

 made more attractive. A " Promenade " was a day reserved 

 for Fellows and their friends, and from this time onward a band 

 was engaged. The price of admission was 3s. 6d., and to obtain 

 a ticket it was necessary to have an order from a Fellow, who 

 could himself purchase tickets for his friends at 2s. 6d. These 

 Promenades were important ; they increased the revenue and led 

 eventually to the provision of a military band. In many of the 

 Continental Gardens an excellent band form part of the staff, as 

 it does at the Gardens at Manchester. The Promenades con- 

 tinued, during the season, for five years, and then were dropped. 



Poultry shows were begun in 1845. Prizes were offered for 

 " domestic fowls, bantams, turkeys, pigeons, ducks and geese 

 bred in the previous year ; and for pheasants and any species 

 of gallinaceous bird not hitherto bred in this country." -^ The 



* The classes were divided into sections. As no schedule of the first show is 

 known, the following are taken from the first prize-list, signed hy John Baily, 

 George Fisher, and William Yarrell. Class I. Domestic Fowls : Speckled 

 Dorking, Surrey, Kent, Gold-spangled Hamburgh, Silver spangled Hamburgh 

 (called Bolton Grey), Black Spanish, Polish, Malay, China, Madeira, Spangled 

 muffled fowls. Class IT. Bantams: Gold- spangled. Silver-spangled, Black, Gold- 

 hackled, Feather-legged. Class III. Ducks : Aylesbury, cross with Rouen, large 

 variety called Essex. Class IV. Geese : Common, Grey lag. Half-bred (wild and 

 domestic), Bernacle. Class V. Pigeons : Roman and Spanish runts. Class VI 

 Pheasants : No entries. Class VII. Turkeys : Spangled male. 



