On January 28, 1860, Baron Ernst von Merck, Herr H. Meyer, Consul Schiller, General Consul de Craecket, and others met together and formed a provisional company for the founding of a Zoological Society, the main end and aim of which should be to settle the site of a Zoological Garden in Hamburg. Baron Ernst von Merck was elected President and Herr H. Meyer Vice-president, whilst Consul Schiller was made Treasurer. On July 10, 1860, the first general meeting of the shareholders took place to consider the construction of the society and the making of regulations. The directors approached the Municipal Council with a view to obtaining a suitable site for a Zoological Garden, and the Council gave a plot of land to the society free of ground-rent for fifty years. The buildings were at once taken in hand by Herr Meuron and Herr Haller, and the landscape-gardening by Herr Jürgens. The capital was taken up by 800 shareholders. The preparing of the land, which consisted of a large sand-desert, occasioned endless trouble and waste of time and money, especially at the beginning. The Directors, however, were not discouraged, as they were helped not only by large presents of animals, but also of building materials, etc. An otter basin was paid for by Baron von Merck, who, with other gentlemen, gave an important contribution to the bear pit. The main entrance-gate, the wapiti house, the seal enclosure, the tapir house, the antelope house, and the drainage system of the grounds were all given by various individuals. The ladies of Hamburg and Altona opened a subscription, which resulted in the building of an ostrich house. In November, 1862, the greater part of the buildings were finished. The Directors, however, were obliged to issue more shares in order to enable them to make other buildings, and especially an aquarium. This new issue of capital was authorized on November 20, and within twenty-four hours the new shares were all taken up. On May 26, 1863, the company presented the Garden, brightly decorated for the occasion, to the shareholders, and on the following day it was opened to the public. On July 6, 1863, the Garden suffered an irreparable loss in the sudden death of its President, Baron von Merck, who was greatly regretted by the whole of Hamburg. A bust was placed in the concert-hall to commemorate him. In 1864 the Direction was authorized to build a Winter Garden and a large restaurant. The aquarium, a rectangular building 26 by 11 metres in size, was opened April 26, 1864. The floor is laid deep under the surface of the earth to insure an even temperature all the year round. Spring and autumn are the best times to transport fish to the aquarium, as in the extreme heat of summer many die. Presents flowed in from all parts of the world every year. Herr Meyer presented the Garden with the owl tower. A second small-cats’ house was presented by General Consul Gustav Mutzenbecher.