30 Royal Zoological Society of Ireland 



living animals is so well calculated to bring forth, by 

 giving free entrance to the pupils of all charity schools 

 who sought to obtain it ; while by the lectures delivered 

 by eminent persons at the evening meetings of the 

 Society the very highest applications of Zoology have 

 been promoted. 



' The most remarkable addition to the collection 

 during the year has been the Giraffe "Albert," presented 

 to the Society under the following circumstances : One 

 of your Secretaries (Mr. Ball) being in London in May 

 last, represented to influential members of the Zoological 

 Society there how greatly a grant of a giraffe would be 

 valued in Ireland, not only by your Society, but by the 

 public at large in Dublin, and he stated how much beyond 

 the means of the Society the purchase of so costly an 

 animal was. The Council of the London Society met, 

 and in the most prompt, handsome, and unanimous 

 manner, made a free gift of the very beautiful Giraffe 

 now in your possession. 



"They selected this animal with the kindest considera- 

 tion, as the most portable and hardiest of their stock, 

 although from its being the first ever reared in Europe, 

 being so far acclimated, and a personal favourite and pet 

 of very many of the Society, he was the most valued, and 

 probably most valuable Giraffe in London. 



'Your Council could return no equivalent for this 

 princely donation, but with the marked thanks on the part 

 of your Society they had the gratification of being able to 

 add two animals to the collection in the Regent's Park, 

 not before seen alive in London — a two-toed Sloth 

 (Choloeftits iinau), and a new species of tiger-cat, which 

 Mr. Ball has named Felis melanura. 



"The extremely rapid growth of the Giraffe (about 

 30 inches within the year), and the probability of his 

 growing 5 or 6 feet more, make it imperatively necessary 

 to build a house suited for him. The temporary one 

 which he at present occupies being only 14 feet high, his 

 horns suffer from striking against the ceiling. The 

 Council therefore, desiring to provide, as becomes the 

 Society, for so munificent a donation, and at the same 

 time knowing that their funds would not without aid 

 enable them to do so, applied to the members at large 

 for contributions, intending to build not only a house 

 suited to the wants of the Giraffe, but one which would 



