40 



by hunting the islands and covers with terriers, and otherwise 

 disturbing the birds ; and to such an extent has the annoyance 

 increased, that in the past year not a single water bird has been 

 permitted to hatch its eggs and rear its young. 



Almost every year, each succeeding Council pressed upon 

 official authorities the necessity for completion of the original 

 design of the Gardens, but various delays and difficulties arose, 

 among which may be enumerated the famine and succeeding 

 years, when more sad and serious topics occupied men's minds — 

 the change of governments — the change of law in respect of 

 the management of the Phoenix Park, and the official delays 

 that are necessarily connected with the consideration of such 

 subjects. 



Those delays and difficulties have, however, now terminated, 

 and the Lords of the Treasury, through the Board of Works, 

 have communicated to the Council of the Society, that they 

 have granted to the Society the opposite bank of the lake, 

 according to a certain boundary, on condition of the fence being 

 of a light open construction. 



This meets the view of the Council, as well as of the 

 Treasury. 



The Council are desirous of putting up such a light wire 

 fence as will be sufficient to protect the waterfowl and not im- 

 pede the view, and by appropriating the enclosed bank to the 

 smaller Kangaroo tribe, and to the smaller kinds of Antelopes, 

 Deer, Indian Cows, and Llamas, they hope, as Burton's report 

 anticipated, " that the general effect of the Valley, as seen from 

 the Park, will be greatly improved;" in like manner as a 

 similar arrangement has added so much to the attractions of 

 the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. 



The Council of the Zoological Society, moreover, seek in this 

 proposed addition a higher result than merely increased attrac- 

 tion in scenery or animals. The importance of adding to our 

 animal kingdom as to our vegetable, such stocks as may be 

 useful to man for food, as well as for other purposes in our 

 social economy, is now fully recognized, and the Council hope, 

 that with the water protected, and the additional ground en- 

 closed, the Zoological Society will also become an Acclimatation 



