82 Royal Zoological Society of Ireland 



The President's unrivalled skeleton of Plesiosaurus 

 has continued to attract much attention, and is in itself 

 more than sufficient to repay the trouble of a visit. The 

 tent-like house in which it is exhibited, has, as was 

 expected, stood the winter without injury, and is recom- 

 mended as an example of an economical and useful 

 structure. 



Pending the acquisition of an Elephant, the Parrots 

 have been placed in the Elephant house, where they may 

 now be seen without the annoyance sometimes complained 

 of in their former locality. The Monkey house, where the 

 large cage, hitherto occupied by Macaws and Cockatoos, 

 is being fitted up for the prehensile tailed Monkeys of 

 America. 



The most important event of the year has been the 

 prospect opened up of Government aid, long anxiously 

 sought for. This aid is not alone valuable in a pecuniary 

 point, but much more so in its recognition of Zoology, as 

 worthy of public support, and in its affording to doubting 

 members that security for the permanence of the Society 

 which it hitherto wanted, and which, having obtained, it 

 is trusted will induce many to join, and those who have 

 fallen off to rejoin, the Society. 



With the view of obtaining the grant referred to, the 

 Council addressed the following memorial to His Excel- 

 lency, the Lord Lieutenant, by whom it was favourably 

 received: — 



" May it please your Excellency, 



" We, the President and Council of the Royal Zoo- 

 logical Society of Ireland, entreat your Excellency's 

 consideration of the following Statement and compliance 

 with the subjoined prayer. 



"The Society, instituted in 1831, for the cultivation of 

 Zoological Science, has, under many and great difficulties, 

 continued to fulfil the object of the Institution, but this 

 result has been mainly due to the energy and persever- 

 ance of a few individuals, who have continued their 

 exertion in the full belief that the time was coming when 

 the Institution must receive the full recognition of the 

 State. As a source of public educational recreation, a 

 necessary to the full development of the fine arts, an 

 essential to a most important branch of natural science, 





