In 1892 the following animals were bred in the Garden: gnu, nylgai, water-buck, jaguar, wolves, guanacos, etc.
Every May or June the Garden exhibits for some days its collection of Lepidoptera, one of the richest butterfly collections on the Continent, containing, as it does, about 25,000 specimens, including 1,500 Hesperides and more than 2,000 Geometræ.
The number of big, shady trees, the ponds, the picturesque buildings, the neatly-laid-out walks, the large open lawns, and the beds of flowers, all help to make this Garden one of the prettiest in Europe. The view from the restaurant terrace of the lake and tower, surrounded by trees, is one of the most striking I can remember.
I visited other Zoological Gardens in Germany besides those described above. There is one at Augsberg, one at Karlsruhe, one at Mulhausen, and one at Nymphenburg; but as there is nothing very remarkable about them, and one or two possess no carnivorous animals, they may well be passed over in a work which is already far too long.
CHAPTER XXVIII
ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN, ST. PETERSBURG: DIRECTOR, ANTUSCHEWITZ
This is a curious Garden in a curious city. When I say ‘Garden,’ I mean a collection of animals in cages, with a number of cafés chantants dotted about. After passing the entrance, there is a large café in front of one, in which a really good band plays. Just opposite is a huge theatre, partly open to the air, and surrounding it are other smaller theatres and cafés. On the left are some bears and a good collection of foxes and wolves. In another house, in which is a large tank, there are two fine hippopotami. In this house is the stuffed skin of a baby hippo which was born in the Garden, as well as some living tapirs and some curious-looking Russian dogs. The next house contains a pair of very handsome Burchell’s zebras, some nylgai, brindled and white-tailed gnus, and some rare little dwarf antelopes.
Opposite this house are stork and crane pens. In an elephant house, built in 1892, are two large Indian elephants, and close by them are some duck-ponds, containing ducks, geese, flamingoes, storks, and pelicans. Next to these ponds we come to some large aviaries, the first containing birds of prey, including some large condors, and the second pheasants and peacocks. Passing on, we reach the lion house, in which is a really good collection, and opposite to it are some wapiti and other deer sheds. There is the usual herd of American bison, which seem to be more common in Zoological Gardens than in their native haunts, and next to them some Indian water-buffaloes and four enormous camels from Russian Turkestan. Rabbits, seals, ostriches, and rheas helped to form an extremely good collection. Although there was very little snow about (May 24), it was quite cold enough for a greatcoat.
