46 Royal Zoological Society of Ireland 



is only justice to bear testimony to the value of the 

 Zoological Society of Ireland, as a scientific and social 

 institution. Managed as it is, and diffusing' knowledge as 

 it does, you can boast of having in this City the best 

 society of the kind in Europe — the one of most service to 

 the public — and this, too, with comparatively small 

 resources ; for similar bodies abroad derive ample 

 resources from the government of the countries to which 

 they belong, and the only institution of the kind in Eng- 

 land is in the very centre of European wealth." 



Your Council could dilate on this subject to any 

 length ; but they feel that their predecessors have so 

 often and forcibly put the great utility of the Society 

 before the public, that it may now be sufficient to ask the 

 citizens of Dublin, and Irishmen at large, whether they 

 will suffer the naturally most beautiful and healthful, and, 

 it may be added, the most useful Zoological garden 

 existing, to fail, rather than contribute the small sum 

 required for its maintenance ? To subscribers it may be 

 urged, that in the tickets for lectures and promenades 

 they receive more than an equivalent for subscriptions, 

 while, at the same time, education and recreation is pro- 

 vided at one penny each for the poorer classes. Lectures 

 are given to the members and their friends by the most 

 distinguished persons, instruction is afforded to artists, 

 and science and education generally cultivated. Who, on 

 seeing the evening meetings crowded by some 600. ap- 

 parently the elite of the land, could suppose that very 

 many of that number, occupying prominent places, and 

 on these and other occasions availing themselves of every 

 advantage the Society affords, do but too generally with- 

 hold subscriptions? Yet such is the fact; and it is one 

 which shows how difficult it is in this country to maintain 

 institutions which depend for support on the good faith of 

 public subscriptions. 



The Council regret to be forced into these reflections, 

 but they feel much the want of support they should have 

 received ; at the same time it affords them much gratifi- 

 cation to be able to bear testimony to the excellent 

 conduct of the people, 73,107 of whom were admitted to 

 the Garden during the year at one penny each. They 

 seemed greatly to appreciate the privilege, and have not 

 abused it. 



Your Council, in reporting the events of the year, have 



