ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND. 



The annual meeting of the Royal Zoological Society 

 was held in the Board-room of the Royal Dublin Society 

 on Tuesday, 8th May, 1860, D. J. Corrigan, Esq., m.d., in 

 the chair. 



Dr. Harvey read the following report of Council : — 



The Council of the Royal Zoological Society for the 

 year 1859-60 in presenting this, the 28th Annual Report, 

 have the pleasure to congratulate the members on the 

 continued efficient state of the Gardens, and on the 

 undiminished interest felt by a large section of the public 

 in the Society's collection of animals. 



It will be seen from the abstract of the Treasurer's 

 accounts now laid before you, that the visitors to the 

 Gardens during the year just ended were more numerous 

 by 6,588 than in the previous year, a highly satisfactory 

 result, considering the very inclement winter and spring 

 through which we have just passed. But for the long- 

 continued cold and wet of the last three months the 

 numbers would, doubtless, have been greatly in excess of 

 those of 1859. This is clear by comparing the numbers 

 for February and March with those of April, and observing 

 the very sudden rise within the last month, consequent 

 on improved weather. Thus : — In February the visitors 

 were 3,923 ; March, 6,409; April, 24,213. 



Certainly, there is no diminution in the interest felt 

 by the Society's principal supporters, — those crowds of 

 eager gazers that visit your Gardens at the penny rate 

 on Sunday afternoons and on summer evenings. On one 

 of the few fine Sunday afternoons of last month no less than 

 6,002 persons were in the Gardens at one time, and during 

 the year the number admitted at the penny rate was 

 134,926. In 1858-9 the number at the penny rate was 

 130,207, showing an increase of 4,719 during the year. 

 Thus, more than two-thirds of the whole excess of 

 numbers in the current year consisted of penny admis- 

 sions. This fact sufficiently proves that the class for 

 whose instruction and healthy recreation the Gardens 

 have been opened at a merely nominal rate, continues to 



