22 
The Gunpowder Explosion, which took place on the 5th 
of October last in a boat belonging to the Grand Junction 
Canal Company, on the Regent’s Canal near the Society’s 
Gardens, caused considerable damage to the aviaries and 
other buildings. Large quantities of glass were broken 
and the frames displaced and shattered. Many of the 
smaller birds escaped from the aviaries; but the greater 
number of these were subsequently captured and restored. 
On the whole the damage caused to the Society is estimated 
to have amounted to £246 9s. 11d., which sum the Council 
hope to recover from the Grand Junction Canal Company. 
Part of this sum (116 18s. 3d.) is charged to the extra- 
ordinary expenditure of 1874. 
The total extraordinary expenditure of 1874 on new 
works and buildings thus amounted to £1285 17s. 7d. as 
already mentioned. The corresponding amount spent in 
1873 was £4179 2s. ld. 
2. VISITORS. 
The total number of visitors to the Society’s Gardens 
during the year 1874 was 706,907, being 6139 less 
than the corresponding number in 1872, as will be seen 
by the following Table :— 
1873. | 1874. | Comparison. 
Fellows and Friends ..............sese++-s+-| 179,389 | 180,768 | Incr. 1,379 
( On ordinary days at 1s.each | 160,991 | 158,143 | Decr. 2,848 
| 
| On Mondays and other “ 
Paying{ at Gd. each...........scceee0 , 
| Children under 12 
years at 
( Gd. each -2......0.-.eeneeeeee | sith sa sgl iis an =o 
Charity Children and others having 
free AAMISSION .....0...ss0seerseeceeee 
313,563 | 310,076 | Decr. 3,487 
12,411 | 13,890 |Iner. 1,479 
713,046 | 706,907 | Decr. 6,139 
This decrease is entirely attributable to the bad weather 
that prevailed during the two Bank-holidays of Whit- 
Monday and the Monday after Christmas day. On 
