Special Meeting.] 528 [March 28, 



practical step proposed in view of what, on former occasions when 

 great enterprises were pending, the citizens of Boston have done 

 in the way of generous contributions. He felt also that the city 

 of Boston would be laggard if it much longer postponed such an 

 undertaking and named several cities where zoological gardens 

 have been prosperously carried on. Moreover, he had the utmost 

 confidence in the caution and good management of the committees 

 of the Society or Council which will have charge. The commit- 

 tees have always been noted for economy, and he never knew them 

 to spend money for luncheons, but recognized a departure on the 

 present occasion in seeing that a lunch had been spread in the li- 

 brary hall. 



The President said that the lunch did not affect the reputation of 

 the committees as it had been provided at the expense of the ladies 

 of the Society, and he improved the opportunity to invite all to 

 partake of it at the close of the meeting. 



Dr. George Waters said he should vote for the plan if it was 

 pressed, but counselled the members to take more time for consid- 

 eration and have the matter voted upon at an adjourned meet- 

 ing. 



Mr. S. H. Scudder responded that the plan of a Natural History 

 Garden had already been considered for twenty-one years. 



Dr. Bowditch offered the following resolution and vote : 



Resolved, That this Society cordially and fully approves the steps 

 taken by its Council in the matter of Natural History Gardens and 

 Aquaria. 



Voted, That the Boston Society of Natural History authorizes 

 the Council of the Society on its behalf to proceed with the es- 

 tablishment of such gardens and aquaria, whenever the sum of 

 $200,000 shall have been raised for that express purpose, provided 

 that of that sum $100,000 be forever set apart as a guarantee fund 

 of which the income only shall be available for current expenses, 

 building and other items of maintenance or construction, and that 

 after the fund of $200,000 has been raised and the reserved fund 

 has been invested, the Council shall not incur an indebtedness be- 

 yond the sum of eight-tenths of the actual value of the investments 

 of the reserved fund. 



Mr. Samuel Wells seconded the resolutions and motion which 

 were then unanimously adopted. 



