Passing over the bridge again, we come on the left to the small-cats’ house and the kangaroo sheds. Australians saw here for the first time kangaroos with young ones in their pouches, which shows how well they are treated here.
Again passing through the tunnel, we come to the band-stand and the platform from which children mount the elephant. These elephant and camel rides are extremely popular forms of amusement in the Gardens, as may be judged from the money receipts: in 1900 no less than £624 13s. 11d. was taken. Close by is to be found a beautiful specimen of the snow leopard, captured in Thibet by my friend, Captain H. I. Nicholl, and presented by him to the Society. After lunch in House No. 38 (the refreshment-room), we find on the left the vultures’ aviary, and, crossing a lawn, we come to the fish house, the three-island pond, and the large central lawn, the latter a pretty sight on a fine Sunday afternoon, when covered with fashionably-dressed visitors.
Passing the wapiti and deer and cattle sheds, we reach the reptile house. Here the experiments of Sir Joseph Fayrer demonstrated the venomous character of the heloderm lizard. In this house have been exhibited the largest pythons ever seen. Of the first living specimens of the Chinese alligator sent to Europe many years ago, one still survives, and the giant tortoises deposited by that great naturalist, the Hon. Walter Rothschild, could not be matched in the Galapagos or Aldabra.
We now come to the lion house, which cost, with its outside cages, upwards of £11,000. There is always a good collection of the big cats to be seen, but they do not breed well here.
Just opposite is the splendid collection of antelopes, in my opinion the most valuable animals in the Gardens. Not such a fine representative lot can be seen elsewhere in Europe. Many breed here, and the gnus and elands take turns at grazing on the large grass paddock attached to the house. In the loose-boxes will be noticed sable, harnessed antelopes, the nylgais (remarkably tame), common water-buck, Oryx leucoryx, and an Oryx beisa, captured and presented by my friend and African-travel companion, Mr. J. Bennett Stanford. We now come to the sea-lion pond and those quaint-looking birds the penguins, which stalk about for all the world like wise little old men and women. Passing more duck-ponds, we reach the crane and ostrich pens. Mr. Walter Rothschild’s monograph on the cassowaries was in great measure founded on examples deposited by him in this house. Here also are seen the rheas, the wingless kiwi, and the magnificent Manchurian cranes.
The monkey house comes next, containing a fine collection, and opposite is a new house, costing £4,000, for the reception of the anthropoid apes.
Passing the western aviary, we come to the bears’ and hyænas’ dens, always well filled. The camel house and clock-tower come next, and then a large aviary containing storks, herons, gulls, etc., many of which build and rear their young. The pelican enclosure brings one to the main entrance again.
SABLE ANTELOPE, LONDON.
In this large Garden there are no less than sixty houses, and in the above account of a walk round many small houses and enclosures have been passed over, but not forgotten. The number of visitors on a fine Bank Holiday is 29,000, or about half the visitors to the Berlin Garden on a fine Sunday evening. The cause of this is that we close our Gardens at an hour when those on the Continent make most of their money. We also give no concerts and have no concert-house, although a military band plays from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays throughout the summer.