ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 783 



lessly arranged and heterogeneously selected collection of ani- 

 mals, the throngs that stream through the garden grounds will 

 resort there as curiosity-seekers, and will lose sight of the idea 

 that they are in a place and enjoying an atmosphere of culture, 

 refinement, and education. History goes to show that the superb 

 zoological gardens now maintained in London were first opened 

 in 1828, since which time, down to 1887, twenty-four million five 

 hundred and seventy-two thousand four hundred and five visitors 

 were entered upon the register-books of the management. An 

 instant's reflection will be sufficient to convince any friend of edu- 

 cation of the benefits that humanity has derived hence, and of 

 the refining influences which have through this center alone been 

 brought into play. 



Extensive zoological gardens, in addition, open to the masses 

 a long chapter on the life-histories of the animals of their own 

 country, as well as those of foreign lands. Then by the proper 

 methods it becomes easy to bring the visitor face to face with 

 other questions intimately associated with the animals themselves : 

 I refer to their geographical ranges; the physical aspect of the 

 countries they inhabit ; and, finally, through the library and lect- 

 ure system, something about their natural history and structure. 



People are by such means enabled to supplement their read- 

 ings and studies by having the very objects brought before them. 

 At a glance, the striking differences between the Asiatic and Afri- 

 can elephants are appreciated through the eye. One soon becomes 

 familiar with the various forms of our American deer, and has a 

 better realizing sense of the fact that the elk resort to the mount- 

 ain fastnesses as their normal haunts, while our antelope rarely 

 quit the plains. From school-days up, the American youth, by 

 such means, gains a knowledge of the forms of the magnificent 

 representatives of the various faunae of his land, in comparison 

 with which the illustrations in the text-book, although not to be 

 altogether despised, are inadequate. 



Here the sculptor, artist, and engraver can, at their leisure, 

 study the noblest of animal forms under the most advantageous 

 of circumstances. Leopards and pumas may be caught in the 

 very act of a high-noon siesta, or perchance in some short and 

 fiery quarrel, showing all the lineaments of anger characteristic 

 of their race when aroused. Ornithologists may catch for their 

 folios the transitory tints of the glowing plumages of trogons and 

 toucans as they disport themselves in their large, airy cages, in a 

 manner to be achieved under no other conditions. Then, by the 

 aid of camera, brush, and pencil, tints and forms are brought 

 to the eye and hand of the sculptor and engraver, which in time 

 take on material shape in bronze and stone, and the ideas pass 

 into art and design, and thus culture is the gainer in the end. 



