102 Royal Zoological Society of Ireland 



' The subject of the future management of the 

 Gardens has engaged the earnest attention of the Council, 

 and as it has appeared to them that it would be unreason- 

 able to expect from any unpaid individual such an amount 

 of personal attention as was freely given by Dr. Ball, 

 they have deemed it expedient to appoint a salaried 

 assistant-secretary, whose duty it shall be to look closely 

 after the details of the Garden management, and to 

 exercise a general superintendence under the advice and 

 direction of the Council. And deeming it also essential 

 to the welfare of the Gardens that no time should be lost 

 in providing such a superintendence, they have tempor- 

 arily appointed Mr. Joseph Green, assistant secretary, at 

 a salary of £75 per annum. It will be competent to the 

 Society to revise this appointment at a future day, of 

 which due notice shall be given. Several additional 

 improvements have been made at the Gardens during the 

 past year, chiefly in providing better accommodation for 

 the animals. A respectable house has been specially 

 appropriated to the Parrot tribe and newly fitted up : a 

 reptile house has been constructed and supplied with a 

 heating apparatus, which also heats the monke3'-house 

 adjoining. The health of the animals in these houses has 

 improved since these changes have been made. Two new 

 Aviaries have been finished, and a third, intended for 

 owls, is in progress of erection. A Fernery has been 

 planted at the lower end of the Gardens, and the orna- 

 mental flower garden has been, in several respects, 

 improved. Among the additions made to our stock of 

 mammalia, the most important is a magnificent Bactrian 

 Camel, taken from the Russians on the field of 

 Alma, and presented to the Society by William Carte, 

 Esq., staff assistant surgeon. On the whole, the state of 

 the Gardens during the past year has been satisfactor}', and 

 the Council, relying on the favour of the public, look forward 

 with hope to the coming season. But they would press 

 on the members the urgent necessity of their continued 

 support, as the Gardens cannot be kept up without money, 

 and the funds at present are scarcely more than sufficient 

 to maintain the collection we possess and leave but little 

 surplus for the acquisition of novelties. It cannot be too 

 frequently or too strongly urged on the attention of 

 members that the Government grant of £500, which 

 we at present enjoy, is only given in aid of our proper 

 revenue; and far from being intended to check private 



