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other objects of interest having been provided for the 

 instruction and amusement of the masses of our 

 population, as for example, the Glasnevin Botanical 

 Gardens and the National Gallery of Paintings. 



The Council, however, regard without jealousy these 

 other agencies for creating and cultivating tastes 

 which tend to promote the intellectual improvement 

 of the people, and feel that this Society is still occupy- 

 ing a large and important share in this great work, as 

 long as so many thousand persons are found to avail 

 themselves of the means of instruction aiforded by 

 the collection in the Society's Gardens. 



It is with great regret, however, that the Council 

 observe the more unaccountable falling off in the 

 number of the Annual Members, whose subscriptions 

 form the only certain source of income besides the 

 Annuar.Grant. This cannot be attributed wholly to the 

 removal by death of some of the older Members, but 

 in a great degree, it is to be feared, to an apathy and 

 indifference to the interests and objects of a Society 

 which ought to have a strong claim on the sympathy 

 and support of the educated classes. 



With a view to induce a larger number to join the 

 Society, the Council propose to give for the future a 

 more Scientific character to the Society, by establish- 

 ing Monthly Meetings, to be held in the city during 

 the Winter season, at which Papers on subjects con- 

 nected with Zoology and Comparative Anatomy will 

 be read and discussed by the Members. Such meet- 

 ings, it is expected, will prove extremely interesting 

 in this city, in which the study of Natural History 

 has always found many and ardent admirers, and the 



