the office of President, and engaged to appoint an Acting-President 
to officiate during his absence. Accordingly at the request of the 
Council Dr. Thomas Black undertook the duties of Acting-President. 
The Council have ventured to nominate as Life Members of the Society, 
Mr. Lachlan Mackiunon, in acknowledgment of the zealous services 
he has rendered to the Society in England, and Mr. Albert Purclias, 
in acknowledgment of his valuable cooperation, and of the profes¬ 
sional ability he has generously placed at the disposal of the Society 
as Honorary Engineer and Architect. The Council have likewise 
nominated as Honorary Members the following gentlemen in their 
capacity as Consuls for their respective countries, viz., Argentine 
Confederation, J. A. Newnham ; Belgium, Gustave Beckx ; France, 
A. Truiy ; Hamburgh and Bremen, Adolph Scholstein ; Italy, James 
Graham; Netherlands, J. W. Ploos Van Amstel ; Portugal, Kicardo 
Cooper ; Prussia, Moritz Michaelis ; Russia, James Damyon ; Spain, 
George Kohler; Switzerland, Samuel Rentsch ; Sweden, Norway 
and Denmark, J. B. Were; United States, W. Blanchard; and 
these nominations now await your confirmation. 
With the money received from Government the following works 
have been executed at the Royal Park :— 
Superintendent’s house. 
10 Shelter houses, of various kinds, for deer, Ac. 
2 Pheasantries. 
1,750 yards of 7 feet boundary fence. 
1,550 
„ 5 „ picket fence. 
3,141 
„ post and rail (4 rail) fence. 
2,400 
„ 5 ft. 6 in. strained wire fencing. 
100 
» 6 „ » „ 
600 
„ 5 „ 6 in. picket fencing. 
320 
» 4 „ „ „ 
In addition to which, great progress hits been made with the 
planting, and the Yan Yean water has been brought into the centre 
of the enclosure. 
The Council have entered into direct and continuous correspond¬ 
ence with the sister societies of England, France, Sicily, New South 
Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania, and from some of these, valu¬ 
able returns have been made for the specimens of native animals sent 
from here : thus, from Paris, a pair of ostriches (both of which 
unfortunately perished on the voyage), and a pair of zebus (one of 
which has arrived) have been sent; and from Tasmania, the society 
have received 8 English tench. 
