18 
old Museum building in order to render it suitable for their 
accommodation. , The costs incurred by the Society’s col- 
lector in South Africa, his salary, and the freight of the 
animals brought home by him, amounted together to 
£563 15s. 1d.; and the sum of £17 11s. 7d. has beem de- 
voted to the purchase of some young Red Deer intended 
for shipment to New Zealand for His Excellency Sir George 
Grey, who is endeavouring to introduce these and other 
useful animals into that colony. With regard to the 
Paradise-birds, the Council have great satisfaction in stating 
that these attractive birds remain in perfect health. In 
the past summer it was thought advisable to remove them 
from the room originally fitted up for them in the Old 
Museum building, and to place them in a more airy though 
very sheltered situation in the New Aviary. Here they 
have done well throughout the winter, and are now throwing 
off their ornamental plumes and replacing them by new 
feathers. The room originally fitted up for their accommo- 
dation has not, however, been suffered to remain empty, 
but, having been devoted to the reception of Spider- 
monkeys and others of the more delicate Quadrumana, 
has proved a great source of attraction to the public. - 
The most remarkable mammal added to the Society’s 
collection since the last Anniversary is certainly the Aye- 
aye of Madagascar (Chiromys madagascariensis). ‘The 
Aye-aye was, until very recently, only known to naturalists 
from two specimens in the Paris collection. ‘The first 
perfect example reached the British Museum in spirits 
about two years ago, and formed the basis for the Mono- 
graph of this animal by Professor Owen recently pub- 
lished in the Society’s “Transactions.” On the 12th of 
August last a fine living female of the Aye-aye reached the 
Society’s Gardens in safety, having been most liberally 
presented to the Menagerie by Edward Mellish, Ksq., of 
the Mauritius, and still remains in good health in our 
Gardens. 
Amongst other interesting novelties in the list of animals 
exhibited for the first time, particular attention should be 
called to the Japanese Bears, the Horned Tragopan Phea- 
sants, and the Kagu. For the last-named bird, an in- 
habitant of New Caledonia, so little known as to have only 
just received a scientific appellation, the Society are in- 
debted to one of their own body, Dr. George Bennett, of 
Sydney, to whom, in recognition of his many valuable 
