15 
III. GARDENS, REGENT’S PARK. 
1. EXTENSION OF THE GARDENS. 
For many years the Council have not ceased to urge 
upon the Commissioners of Works the pressing necessity 
for some extension of the Society’s Gardens, in order to 
afford space for the better accommodation of their large 
and ever increasing collection of living animals, The 
Council have not failed to point out. to the First Commis- 
sioner that in keeping up this collection at an expenditure 
of about £20,000 a year, and in a manner that is on all 
hands admitted to be unrivalled, the Society were per- 
forming a function that in most civilized countries is either 
undertaken by the State, or materially assisted by grants 
from the national purse. 
The Council, however, regret to say that they have not 
hitherto succeeded in overcoming various objections made 
by the Commissioners of Works to their request, except 
so far as to have obtained permission to re-enter into occu- 
pation of the piece of ground on the north side of the 
Regent’s Park Canal, immediately opposite to the Society’s 
Gardens. This piece of ground was formerly tenanted by 
the Society at a yearly rental of £20 7s. 8d.; and its occu- 
pancy has now been resumed by the Society from Michael- 
mas last upon the same terms. ‘The Council propose to 
build a bridge across the Canal, immediately opposite the 
present exit-gate, in order to connect this piece of land 
with the present Gardens, and to open a new entrance- 
gate upon the Primrose-hill road, which will have the ad- 
vantage of being on a public highway, and will, as the 
Council believe, be of great accommodation to the nu- 
merous visitors to the Gardens from the north and east of 
the metropolis. 
2. BuiLDINGS AND Works. 
The sum of £1850 14s. 4d. was expended on ordinary 
repairs and renewals in the Society’s Gardens during the 
year 1869, and was sufficient to keep the existing buildings 
and yards in a satisfactory condition. Besides this a sum 
of nearly £6200, which, as already mentioned, has been 
charged to Extraordinary Expenditure, was devoted to 
the following special works :—the new Elephant-house, 
the new Refreshment-room, and the new Gazelle-sheds. 
