174 THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON xui 



in 1836 in Leicester Square, the same which were formerly 

 occupied by the museum of John Hunter before its removal 

 to the College of Surgeons. At this time the museum is 

 reported to have contained as many as 6720 specimens of 

 vertebrated animals, and numerous additions were still being 

 made both by donations and by purchase. The rooms in 

 Leicester Square being found inconvenient for the purpose, it 

 was finally resolved, after considerable discussion of various 

 sites, to transfer the collection to the Gardens in the Kegent's 

 Park; and in 1843 the building which is now occupied as a 

 lecture-room on the upper floor and a storeroom below was 

 constructed and fitted up for its reception. 



Although the museum was at one time looked upon as a 

 very important part of the Society's operations, being spoken 

 of as " the centre of the Society's scientific usefulness " (Keport 

 of Council, 1837), and one upon which considerable sums of 

 money were spent, it was afterwards a cause of embarrassment, 

 from the difficulty and expense of keeping it up in a state of 

 efficiency ; and when the Zoological Department of the British 

 Museum acquired such a development as to fulfil all the objects 

 proposed by the Society's collection, the uselessness of en- 

 deavouring to maintain a second and inferior zoological 

 museum in the same city became apparent, and in 1856 it 

 was, as I think very wisely, determined to part with the 

 collection, the whole of the types being transferred to the 

 National Museum, and the remaining specimens to other 

 institutions, where it was thought their value would be most 

 appreciated. 



Another enterprise in which the Fellows of the Society 

 were much interested in its early days was the farm at 

 Kingston, the special object of which was thus defined : 

 " It will be useful in receiving animals which may require 

 a greater range and more quiet than the Gardens at the 

 Eegent's Park can afford. It is absolutely necessary for the 

 purpose of breeding and rearing young animals and giving 

 facilities for observations on matters of physiological interest 

 and research, and, above all, in making attempts to naturalise 

 such species as are hitherto rare or unknown in this country." 

 The farm, however, apparently not fulfilling the objects 



