Abstract
AT the annual meeting of the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland, held at Dublin on January 26, Lord HolmPatrick was re-elected president, Dr. J. Agar Matson honorary secretary, Mr. Cecil Pirn honorary treasurer. It was announced that Dr. B. B. Farrer, superintendent and secretary of Dublin Zoo for the past twenty-six years, is retiring. Dr. Matson reported that during the year 1937 there was an increased attendance at the Zoo of 152,173 visitors as against 151,109 in 1936, receipts having increased from £3,561 to £3,661. Membership increased by 54. The Government's grant of £1,000 was continued and various improvements and works are being carried out, the new bear enclosure now nearing completion. More than £520 was spent purchasing and transporting animals like penguins, sea-lion, wolves, wallabies and laughing jackass ; but owing to various restrictions some valuable animals offered could not be accepted. The meeting was followed by a lecture by Father P. J. Kennedy, a well-known local ornithologist, on the birds of Phoenix Park. Father Kennedy gave a detailed history of the formation of the Park until it was turned into a bird sanctuary in 1937, its trees, shrubs, lakes and ponds being so valuable. The birds he then discussed were the 83 species which have been observed in the Park, and included grey crow, rook, jackdaw, magpie, jay, starling, greenfinch, goldfinch (which he said is increasing), chaffinch, bullfinch, linnet, crossbill, yellow-hammer, skylark, pied wagtail, tree-creeper, black-cap and spotted fly-catcher.
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Dublin Zoo and Bird Sanctuary. Nature 141, 279–280 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1038/141279c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/141279c0