1899] THE MUSEUM AND GARDENS OF TR IV AND RUM 191 



spent his furlough in studying museums at home. The conclusions to 

 which he then came were in accordance with the enlightened ideas of 

 Sir William Flower, and were fully accepted by the committee. Mr. 

 Ferguson was given full power to put his plans into effect so far as 

 means permitted. In 1890 he succeeded Colonel Ketchen as secretary, 

 and had charge of the Zoological and Public Gardens as well. In 1894 

 the committee was abolished, and Mr. Ferguson left in sole charge. 

 He appears to have proved worthy of the trust placed in him. 



The museum building, completed in 1880, is a beautiful one, 

 though, like many fine buildings, not perfectly adapted to museum 

 requirements. It consists of a main central hall, 70 feet by 40 feet, 

 with walls 35 feet high. Two wings, each 45 feet by 20 feet, with 

 walls 15 feet high, join this to two other rooms 50 by 30, with walls 

 25 feet high. The main hall is given up to the representation of 

 Travancore arts, manufactures, archaeology, and ethnology. In the 

 south hall are the invertebrates ; the wing joining it to the central 

 hall contains the reptiles and amphibians, and will eventually hold the 

 fishes. The north wing is devoted to birds, and the north room to 

 mammals. No space seems to be left for geology and botany, and 

 these subjects, we are told, are but poorly represented. The exhibited 

 systematic series of animals is naturally almost restricted to the fauna 

 of Travancore ; but in connection with each of the classes is, or will 

 be, an introductory index series. Such a method of arrangement is, 

 in our opinion, an improvement on the model, namely, the Natural 

 History Museum in London. It permits more ready cross-reference 

 and comparison. 



The Zoological and Botanical Gardens, though sanctioned in 1859, 

 were not begun in earnest till 1864. The work progressed steadily, 

 though slowly, in the hands of Mr. Brown, Major Davidson, Mr. 

 Pettigrew, and the committee mentioned above. The grounds gene- 

 rally were brought to their present satisfactory condition by Mr. 

 Ingleby, who came from Kew in 1891 and remained as Superintendent 

 till 1897. In 1867 various animals were transferred from the 

 menagerie of the Maharajah. Better houses were subsequently built 

 for the larger animals, on the basis of plans supplied by the Zoological 

 Society of London. Among the animals now in the gardens, Mr. 

 Ferguson mentions the following : The three kinds of monkeys found 

 in Travancore ; two lions, obtained from England ; a nervous tiger ; a 

 pair of black leopards ; a hyaena ; various Travancore cats ; so-called 

 wild dogs; Himalayan and Indian bears; a great one -horned 

 rhinoceros : a Malay tapir ; all the Travancore deer ; some Indian 

 antelopes ; several species of kangaroo and wallaby, which attracted 

 people in thousands from all parts of the country when they first 

 bred ; emeus, cassowaries, an African crowned crane, and many other 

 birds ; two Hamadryad snakes ; a python, which refused food for a 

 year and ten days when it arrived eight years ago ; and a large water 



