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mainly accounted for by the illness of the Elephant for about six 
months, as during that time she was unable to carry children and 
so earn anything. 
The Council deeply regrets the death of Mr. C. M. Officer, who 
had been a member of the Council for many years and always took 
the greatest interest in the Society, and his death will be a severe 
loss to the Society. 
The Council desires to record its thanks to the retiring President, 
Mr. F. R. Godfrey, who always takes the deepest interest in its 
welfare, and who has, often at great inconvenience to himself, 
advanced its interests to the utmost of his power; and also to Mr. 
T. R. James, its Hon. Treasurer, for the attentive manner in which 
he has performed his duties. 
In conclusion, the Council would express its satisfaction with the 
work done by the Director and his excellent staff, whose ambition 
seems to be concentrated on promoting the prosperity and well¬ 
being of the Gardens and its animal inhabitants. 
The President, Mr. F. R. Godfrey, in moving the adoption of the 
Report, said he was sorry to see so small an attendance of the 
public as compared with the earlier meetings of the Society, when 
leading public men, including the Governor, attended, and took the 
greatest interest in the proceedings. He supposed the explanation 
was that in those days the Society was purely an acclimatisation 
one, engaged in the work of stocking the country with animals and 
birds from abroad, and the public took more interest in it as such ; 
whereas now, acclimatisation work having practically ceased, it 
became a Zoological Society only. It was a pity that so many 
well-to-do people in a city like this subscribed to the funds so 
poorly. 
After briefly referring to the Report the President said that it 
was a matter for congratulation that the Society had about held its 
own when the reduction of the Government grant by £500 was 
taken into consideration. He had hopes that the lecturettes which 
they proposed to inaugurate would make the Society better known 
to the public than hitherto, and give encouragement to the many 
naturalists in the colony. He had a list of names of several 
distinguished lecturers, such as Messrs. Hall, French, and Le 
Souef, who had offered their services, and hoped to make a 
commencement in April. 
He regretted the death of the elephant, “Ranee,” by which the 
Society was deprived of one of its best sources of revenue, and 
sincerely hoped that the news of our loss might reach the ears of 
