74 Royal Zoological Society of Ireland 



managers of the Kaffir Exhibition, which appeared to 

 afford much gratification to the members of the Society 

 who visited the garden at the time, but it was not of 

 pecuniar}- advantage. 



"Your Council have paid much attention to the 

 restoration of the houses, and the improvement of the 

 Garden ; and they earnestly request the members of the 

 Society to visit the work and judge for themselves of 

 the extent of improvement they have effected. At the 

 same time they would urge upon the public that here is 

 a garden possessed of great natural beaut)', in excellent 

 order, proved by accurate statistics to be pre-eminently 

 healthy, having had many thousand pounds expended on 

 it, regulated by 22 years' experience, affording rational 

 and instructive recreation to almost 100,000 persons in 

 the year, ministering to the protection of the arts and 

 sciences, and yet receiving but very feeble aid from 

 the wealthy and independent. Upon their support the 

 extent of the collection depends, and none should pre- 

 sume to deprecate it until they have contributed somewhat 

 to its increase. Though the collection may be considered 

 small, as attached to a Royal and National Society and as 

 scattered over so large a space as your Garden, yet it 

 holds a respectable position as a menagerie, and it con- 

 tains many interesting animals, in excellent condition, 

 affording much instruction. 



" It will be seen by the return of admissions that the 

 numbers admitted free, or at a merely nominal rate, are 

 very large ; and it is not sanguine to expect that there 

 will be this year a large increase of visitors, owing to the 

 improved condition of the country, the increased influx 

 of visitors by railway, and the discontinuance of the toll 

 gates on the leading roads, as well as the increasing 

 spread of knowledge. Your Council hope that the 

 difficulties of the Society have passed and that though 

 its progress may be slow it is certain, and would be rapid 

 were its members earnestly to apply themselves to recruit 

 its numbers. 



' Your Council deeply deplore the loss Zoological 

 Science in this country has sustained in the death of 

 William Thompson, of Belfast, some time a member of 

 this Society; honourable, industrious, and single-minded, 

 he devoted his life to the Natural History of Ireland, 

 and pre-eminently encouraged others in similar pursuits. 



