THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 139 



her fawn. The cause of the fire was never discovered ; but the 

 " occurrence was conjectured to have arisen from a box of 

 fusees or lucifer matches having been accidentally left in the 

 straw, and become ignited by the tread of the animals/' The 

 loss, estimated at £545, was covered by insurance. 



Owing to a heavy snowstorm the netting that roofed in the 

 pheasantry near the cattle sheds was broken down, and "the 

 inmates (many of which were worth £50 apiece) escaped into 

 the Park. Most of the birds were fortunately recovered." 



In 1867 the Government agreed to pay the expenses of a 

 collector, appointed by the Council, to accompany the Abyssinian 

 expedition. Mr. William Jesse was selected, and brought back 

 over 1,200 specimens, chiefly birds, which were described by 

 Dr. Otto Finsch in the Transactions. 



Clarence Bartlett sailed for Calcutta early in the year to bring 

 back a valuable collection, presented by the Rajah Rajendra 

 Mullick, Mr. A. Grote, Dr. J. Anderson, and other friends in the 

 East. There were heavy losses on the return voyage. He arrived 

 in August, bringing with him: 



2 Black Tibetan Wolves 



lGayal(9) 



1 Panolia Deer 



1 Entellus Monkey 



2 Slow Loris 



1 Indian Badger 



2 Mitred Pelicans 



4 Demoiselle Cranes 

 2 Polyplectrons 

 1 White Fruit Pigeon 

 1 Bronze Pigeon 

 1 Singing Pigeon 

 1 Hemipode ; and 

 8 Water Tortoises 



Lecomte was sent out on a collecting trip to the Falklands 

 for sea-lions and other animals, but did not return till the 

 following year. 



A walrus was purchased for the collection at a cost of £205. 

 The following extract from the Council's Report describes its 

 capture and transport to London : 



This animal was captured in Davis's Straits by Captain Richard Wells, 

 of the steam-whaler Arctic, belonging to Messrs. Alexander Stephen & 

 Co., on August 28 last, under the following circumstances : A herd of from 

 200 to 300 of these animals was met on the ice by the Arctic in lat. 69° N. 

 and long. 64° W. A boat's crew was landed on the ice, and the herd 

 attacked and several individuals killed, amongst which was a large female. 

 The body of the latter, being attached to the boat and rowed towards the 

 vessel, was followed by a young male, who swam and dived around, and 



