7 
apparently not taking the same interest in the Society’s Gardens as 
is shown in England and all the large Continental cities where 
similar institutions exist, and where they are always very popular. 
It is more strange in such a fine climate as we possess, as the 
gardens afford a delightful place for Ladies and children to spend 
the day in, and there is much in them both to amuse and to 
instruct, and abundant shelter in case of either rain or great heat. 
This is much to be deplored as the gardens languish for want of 
funds, whereas if a larger income were available, they would 
speedily rank among the most beautiful Zoological attractions 
in the world. If the gardens at the Royal Park with its fine 
collection of animals and birds were near any of the great 
continental cities, its members would be numbered by thousands 
instead of a few hundreds. As it is, were it not for the Government 
Grant which is given to the Society in consideration of the free 
Sunday, the gates would necessarily have to be closed. The Society 
is managed with the utmost economy, but where a large Zoological 
Collection has to be maintained and kept up as well as the 
gardens, the expenditure must be great. The income has been 
slightly in excess of the previous year, and the number of tickets 
sold was 77,763. The attendance on Sundays has as usual been 
very large, about 300,000 people having availed themselves of 
the privilege of visiting the gardens free on that day. 
The accounts have been duly audited by Messrs Langton, 
Holmes and McCrindle, and the balance sheet for the past year 
will be published in the yearly report of the Society’s proceedings. 
The distribution of Trout Fry from Sir Samuel Wilson’s Estate, 
Ercildoune, has been fairly successful,upwards of 14,000 having 
been placed in different streams, namely—the Delatile, Jamieson, 
Howqua, and Tyers rivers, and in several creeks in the upper Yarra 
country. It may be mentioned that the Director frequently hears 
of the success that has attended the efforts of the Society in piscicul- 
