On the right, following the pheasantries, we come to the poultry house, a monolith building in mortar in a semicircular shape. Here are to be found the following among many other varieties: La Flèche, Mans, Houdan, Bresse, Campine, Dorking, Cochin China, Langshan, Brahma, etc. The eggs form an important article of commerce in the Garden. The pens of the poultry house also contain the largest collection of pigeons ever brought together. Mention must be made of the carrier pigeons, the descendants of those birds which during the Siege of Paris carried no less than 115,000 messages microscopically photographed on bits of collodion which weighed next to nothing.
On the edge of the lake is a large and elegant pigeon tower, made of brick and iron, 30 metres high and 6 metres in diameter, and divided into four stages. The interior is divided into coops for 400 couples of pigeons. The top is reserved for those pigeons which, born in the place, are allowed their liberty, and are employed in summer to carry messages. The top of the tower is furnished with a meteorological apparatus, which records on registering cylinders (placed at the bottom of the tower) the state of the atmosphere. This apparatus constitutes a veritable observatory in itself. In it there is a barometer, a thermometer, a rain-gauge, a wind-gauge, a hygrometer, and several other instruments.
The kangaroo house next engages our attention, where are to be found examples of the red kangaroo, Bennet’s Wallaby, etc. Many breed here. The enclosures which surround the kangaroos contain many species of deer. There is the deer from the Moluccas, sika deer from Japan, the axis deer from India, etc. Close by are coach-houses and stables capable of holding ninety horses. These recently erected buildings, together with the old stables, can now hold 250 horses, which form a very complete collection. Here are to be seen also an interesting series of ponies from Java, Siam, Cochin China, Shetland, Ireland, Russia, Corsica, Navarre, Finland, etc. There are also many mules.
At the end of the stables is a riding-school for the breaking-in of horses and the teaching of riding. In 1874 a special riding-school was inaugurated for children, their mounts being all little ponies. Close to the stables is a gymnasium, with horizontal bars, trapeze, ropes, etc., which is for the free use of children, who amuse themselves in it whilst they wait their turn to ride the elephants and camels. The charge for a camel or dromedary ride is 50 centimes; elephant ride, 25 centimes; ostrich-cart, 50 centimes; donkey-cart, trotting zebu-cart, goat-cart, and llama-cart, 25 centimes; saddle-horse, 50 centimes. Tickets are obtained at a kiosk close by.
The African elephant Juliette was a present from Victor Emmanuel, the late King of Italy, together with Romeo, who died in 1886. It will be remembered that these elephants replaced Castor and Pollux, which were sold to the butchers for 27,000 francs during the Siege of Paris in 1870. Close to the large stable is a house containing the yaks from Thibet. The cross between a yak and a zebu is called a ‘dzo.’ In the large stables are to be seen the South American tapirs and the wart hogs from Africa. Burchell’s zebra and a pretty ‘mountain’ zebra are found in the same building. By the side of the zebras are the kiangs from High Asia and Mongolia. There are also many hybrid animals and 100 guinea-pigs in one loose-box. The right side of the big stables is inhabited by a large giraffe; this is the last survivor of a herd received from Abyssinia in 1872, which has bred several times in the Garden.
On the other side of the main road is a large lawn, which serves during the day to pasture the large ruminants. Here are held the yearly exhibitions.
The following exhibitions have been held: In 1877, the Eskimos and Nubians; in 1878, the Laps and Russians; in 1879, the Nubians; in 1883, the Cingalese and Red Indians; in 1886, the Cingalese; in 1887, the Ashantis; in 1888, the Hottentots, Cossacks, and Circassians; in 1889, the Laps and Norwegians; in 1890, the Somalis; in 1891, the Dahomeans.
We next come to the llama house, which includes specimens of guanaco and vicuna, the llama and alpaca. The reindeer enclosure follows. Behind this, again, are the moufflon and chamois rocks; a grotto cut out of the rock shelters the goats from Chili. Below the rock are lodged the graceful Indian antelopes. Between the rock and the aquarium is a construction with a deep basin, in which live the otters and seals. The otters, which were presented in 1891, are very tame. At the word of command they hop up to the top of a rock and take headers into the water. Opposite the otters’ tank is the cow house, holding forty cows, the little dairy at the side being much frequented during summer, when as many as a thousand glasses of milk are sold in a day. Close by the dairy is a picturesque enclosure of lawn and rockwork, inhabited by a herd of over twenty black buck of all ages. It was an amusing sight to watch them frisking and scampering about after the manner of the springbock of Africa.
The aquarium, situated on the right beyond the dairy, contains ten large tanks of sea-water and four tanks of fresh-water. These basins are made of slate, with one side of glass. They receive light only from above, and in them are to be seen the octopus, shrimps, anemones, soles and plaice. Many of the fish grow tame to a remarkable degree, and know their keeper well.
At the end of the aquarium is the fish-culture pavilion, in which one sees in transparent tanks a very complete collection of fresh-water fish and the most perfect apparatus in connection with fish culture. Every year the establishment incubates a considerable number of salmon spawn. Visitors can follow the operations of artificial fertilization of several species of trout, including the American rainbow trout. After the aquarium, in front of the concert kiosk, we find the restaurant, where we can have refreshments at fixed prices under large trees.