The zoological gardens of Europe, their history and chief features

by C. V. A. Peel

The middle of the Garden is cut by an artificial river, upon the banks of which are placed enclosures for geese, ducks, and water-birds. It forms in front of the lawn of the big conservatories a large lake covered with swans, flocks of ducks, some cormorants and seals.

The monkey house is an oblong building 15 metres long and 9 metres broad. The walls are covered with earthenware slabs. In front of the building is an immense cage, where the strongest of the monkeys can take the air and enjoy themselves on the beams and ropes, which take the place of the trees in their native forests, during the warmest hours of the day. On entering by doors which are arranged to keep out draughts, the interior of the monkey house is found to be a large hall, in which are placed four huge cages reaching almost to the ceiling, and which communicate with the exterior pleasure cage by means of large doors. Against the walls are placed little wooden cages, in which are put those delicate specimens which require special care.

Besides the quarters of the keeper, there is an infirmary for sick monkeys. Heat is supplied in winter by hot-water pipes running under the floor, which keep an even temperature without drying up the air.

Attached to the large conservatories is a spacious hall, the grande salle, measuring 40 metres in length, and being able to accommodate 8,000 people, half of whom can sit down. On the ground-floor, opposite to the entrance-door, is a large stage, upon which lecturers entertain the public several times a week with a magic-lantern, the subjects being Zoology, Ethnology, Travel, Botany, etc. On Sundays and Thursdays a first-class band gives popular concerts, which attract a great number of people to the Garden.

On the west of the hall is an aquarium and a bird-gallery, which were opened to the public at the end of 1892.

To the right of the principal entrance is a room, built in 1887, for the sale of a great variety of vegetables and plants.

Continuing to the right, and passing the exhibition hall and the shooting and fishing museum, which have been described, we come to the new sale gallery, a large hall 30 metres long, in which are displayed more agricultural implements, carriages, harness, carts, iron rails, wooden fencing, and everything appertaining to the care of animals and plants—all to be sold at very reasonable prices. A catalogue can be obtained free of charge.

Communicating with the new sale hall is a parrot and small bird gallery. Passing the monkey house, we find large wooden constructions, holding the peacocks, the turkeys and fowls of many kinds, such as Houdans, Dorkings, etc. In this part of the Garden are to be found pretty little rustic buildings containing various birds. In one of them are to be seen the great horned owls which belonged to Gustav Doré, the celebrated artist. In another little pavilion is a Norwegian hawk. In an enclosure bordering on the main walk is to be seen a beautiful collection of cranes from all parts of the world. In the same enclosure are the cassowaries, ostriches and the South American rheas, which latter frequently breed in the Garden.

The pheasantries, which contain more than twenty pens, are occupied by such varieties as the Amherst pheasant from Thibet, Elliot’s pheasant from China, the Versicolor from Japan.

We now come to the great aviary, part of which holds the scarlet ibis and the rare stilts, and the other half contains peacocks and large game-birds. In front of the large aviary are the pens of the doves and partridges. Facing the pheasantries is a statue of Daubenton, by Jules Godin Daubenton, who died in Paris in 1880. It was to the efforts of this scientist that France owes the introduction of merino sheep. This beautiful statue is placed opposite the sheep pens, so that the gentleman can still have his eye on the Ty-ang or Chinese sheep, the grey sheep of Russia, and the Astrakan sheep, which furnishes such a beautiful fur. Not far from here is some rock work executed by M. Teiton, through which runs a little river. Every day at a fixed hour the cormorants are made to fish. The throat of this bird is encircled by a collar, which prevents it from swallowing the fish which it has caught at the bottom of the water. In China these birds are used extensively for fishing.