THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 105 



The drainage of the Gardens and adjacent portions of the 

 Park, begun by the Crown Office in 1851, was completed in 

 the following year, and " operated as one of the counteracting 

 causes to the extension of disease among the animals." The 

 Council were also of opinion that it had an appreciable 

 effect in raising the number of species that bred in the 

 Menagerie. 



The first work of importance was the provision of an 

 enclosure and tank for the hippopotamus, and platforms were 

 added so that visitors might see the animal in the water. 

 Concurrently with this the west wing of the giraffe house 

 was erected, the eagles' aviary on the lawn — now done away 

 with — was completed, and platforms made on the south side 

 of the Carnivora Terrace. About the same time the house 

 on the south side of the Museum was built, and divided up 

 to serve for pythons and anthropoid apes. Here it was that 

 the famous Sally lived. As originally constructed, the house 

 for the exhibition of Gould's collection of humming birds 

 stood on the site of the present plovers' aviary, at the back 

 of the lion house. In describing its position the Illustrated 

 London News (May 31, 1851, p. 480) said that it was "on 

 the left of the walk which leads from the south entrance of 

 the Society's gardens towards their splendid collection of 

 Carnivora." 



This collection was one of the great attractions during the 

 year of the Great Exhibition. On June 10 the Queen and 

 Prince Albert, accompanied by the Princesses, the Duke and 

 Duchess of Saxe-Coburg, and Duke Ernest of Wurtemberg, 

 visited the Gardens. The Times of the following day said : 



Her Majesty occupied a considerable period of her visit in inspecting 

 the celebrated collection of humming birds which has been placed in the 

 Garden by Mr. Gould. The admirable manner in which this beautiful 

 group is illustrated, and the extreme rarity of several of the species, have 

 rendered the building in which they are contained a most important addi- 

 tion to the previous attractions of the establishment, and supplied in the 

 only possible manner a great desideratum in the ornithological part of the 

 Society's collection. The visitors who have repaired to the Gardens for the 

 purpose of examining the humming birds include the most distinguished 

 names in science and in art, as well as in rank, and they have universally 

 expressed their surprise and admiration at the unexpected extent of the 



