905. 



Proceedings of Irish Societies. 



65 



metiibers of the Council have each contributed a new cage for the 

 Monkey House. These cages were very much wanted, and are not only 

 ornamental, but most useful for the smaller species. 



Since the Haughton House was built, the upper storey of that building, 

 including the balcony, has been used as a Refreshment Room. The 

 refreshment department was managed hitherto by a caterer, who paid 

 the Society a small annual sum for the privilege. The Council have now 

 decided to hand over that branch of the Society's activities to a Ladies' 

 Committee. The ladies undertook to look after the whole department, 

 engage a manager, and present an annual statement to the treasurer as 

 to the work done. The Council have received many expressions of 

 praise from visitors to the Gardens as to the quality of the refreshments 

 and the manner with which they were served. 



Three litters of Lions were born during the year, but it is greatly to be 

 regretted that two of these died at birth. The three cubs born in the 

 first litter on the 21st July are all males. They are now in the Lion House, 

 and are particularly fine specimens. Their names are " Fergus," '* Fin," 

 and "Feodagh." They are the offspring of Pluto, a Dublin-reared Lion 

 of the old stock, and of Lady Macbeth, which had likewise reared a fine 

 set of cubs the 3'ear before. 



There are now eight Lions and ten Lionesses in the collection, and no 

 less than seven of the Lions were born in the Gardens and five of the 

 Lionesses. Since the new Lion House was built, a collection of about 

 twent}' Lions has generall}' been kept in stock, and only those for which 

 there is no room are sold. Two of the Lions — Remus and Vesta — were 

 placed in an open-air den in 1902. They have been out in the open day 

 and night ever since, and are spending their third winter in the open 

 air without any artificial heat whatever. They are sheltered from the 

 rain in their covered cage, and receive a liberal supply of straw. Being 

 the least promising examples of the collection when the experiment 

 was first tried, they have since greatly improved in condition, and have 

 acquired thick coats of fur. 



It may be noticed that in the course of the past j^ear, besides 

 the Lion Cubs, some Barbary Lambs were born, some Kangaroos, 

 Agouties, Llamas, and a number of birds. The Grass Parakeets especially 

 have done splendidly in their open-air cage, and have produced a large 

 number of young. 



The Council regret that a large number of deaths have occurred 

 amongst the animals. The Gnu, after having lived in the Gardens for 

 nine years, succumbed to an attack of pleurisy, while the Cinnamon Bear 

 and the great Chacma Baboon lost their lives after a severe seizure of 

 fits. The beautiful young male Giraffe, which had been presented to 

 the Society in the previous year by Sir Reginald Wingate, died in April 

 from blood-poisoning after a serious accident, and the Bactrian Camel 

 succumbed to an affection of the liver. The cause of death of the 

 Chimpanzee was not ascertained. In many other cases the animals had 

 lived in the gardens for a considerable time. It may be mentioned that 



