THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 95 



afterwards increased to two or three inches by the agitation of 

 the waves. Their length was sometimes several fathoms. Ge- 

 nerators of this fluid, these animals emit it at pleasure. A lu- 

 minous point is observed to spring up suddenly on their 

 body, and then to increase rapidly. A bottle, which we laid 

 on the surface of the sea, received two of these animalculse, 

 which immediately rendered all the water luminous. By de- 

 grees this light diminished, and at last disappeared. It was 

 in vain that we endeavoured to perceive the animal with the 

 microscope, or by means of a candle (an easy way of distin- 

 guishing transparent mollusca in water) ; everything had 

 disappeared. We can only say that, by the light which 

 these animals shed, we could perceive that they were ex- 

 tremely minute. 



"We have often reflected on the wonderful faculty with 

 which these microscopic zoophytes are endowed; and we 

 have always found it inexplicable, unless we suppose, in 

 order to give a reason for so extraordinary a fact, that they 

 conceal within themselves some principle of phosphorescence, 

 which they emit at pleasure ; and that this principle becomes 

 visible only when combined with the water of the sea. 



" We only mention a few facts, it is true, but we may ven- 

 ture to assert that they were as well observed as we could do 

 it in our double capacities of physicians and naturalists, and 

 while we were rapidly traversing immense distances. " — Zoo- 

 logie, ii. p. 402, par MM. Quoy et Gaimard, Medecins de 

 r Expedition. 



THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



As no addition of any consequence has been made to the 

 Menagerie in the Regent's Park, we have little to add to our 

 last report. The alterations in the grounds we before alluded 

 to are in a state of considerable forwardness, and will form 

 a great improvement both as regards appearance and utility. 

 Although the absence of verdure, of flowers, and of the gay 

 company which render these gardens so delightful in summer, 

 now conduces to render them less attractive to the general 

 visitor ; yet, to the Zoologist, they are perhaps, on that ac- 

 count, more useful, as the animals can be studied with fewer 

 interruptions. We regret to state that the fine old male 

 lion, which has been some time in a declining state, is dead. 

 Some of the monkeys have also been lost, exhausted by the 

 variable and inclement season. We cannot help thinking 

 this Institution might adopt with advantage some of the 



