

168 THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



This gave Dr. Sclater an opportunity of publishing the regu- 

 lations which had been in force for many years: 



At 5 p.m. on Fridays the doors of the reptile house are closed, and a 

 notice is put up outside stating that " This house is closed for the purpose 

 of feeding the reptiles." After that time no one is admitted unless he 

 applies specially for the purpose and states that he wishes to see the 

 reptiles fed. 



One leading article suggested that the feeding "should be 

 done, as the stage Medea, according to the precept of Horace, 

 was instructed to slay her children, behind the scenes." In 

 this way the difficulty was got over. A few months later the 

 Garden Committee recommended that the reptiles should be 

 fed at times when the grounds were not open to the public. 

 This was accepted by the Council, and since April 20, 1881, 

 has been the rule. 



In 1877 the freehold of the Society's house, No. 11, Hanover 

 Square, and of the house at the back, facing Oxford Street, 

 was purchased. A new storey was added in 1879 to provide 

 additional accommodation for the Library. A room on the 

 second floor was assigned to readers, while the upper storey 

 was reserved for additions. Nearly £2,500 was expended 

 during this decade in the purchase of standard zoological 

 works. In 1874 Mr. Bryan Hodgson, formerly resident at the 

 Court of Nepal, presented a fine collection of original drawings 

 of the mammals and birds of India ; and Colonel Tickell pre- 

 sented an original illustrated manuscript work, in several folio 

 volumes, containing memoirs on the mammals, birds, reptiles, 

 fishes, crustaceans, and butterflies and moths of India. Both 

 donors were elected honorary Fellows, the former in 1874 and 

 the latter in 1875, when the same compliment was paid to the 

 Sultan of Zanzibar for his donations to the Menagerie, and to 

 the Hon. Ashley Eden for help aflorded to the Society when 

 he was Commissioner in Burmah. 



On June 7, 1876, the Society's Gold Medal was presented to 

 the Prince of Wales, at Marlborough House, in " acknowledg- 

 ment of his many valuable donations to the Menagerie, and 

 other services." The presentation was made to the Prince 

 in person by a deputation — consisting of the President (Lord 

 Tweed dale), the Vice-Presidents, and the Secretary — which 



