120 THE NATIONAL SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS AT BERLIN. 



Tlio, building consists of three, stories above the basement. The front 

 jiortion is intended to contain the Mineralosical Mnsenni ; it forms abnost 

 a square around a glass-covered court, which serves as an entrance to 

 the rear portion of the building- containing the Zoological Museum. 



The Zoological Garden. — The history of the Berlin Zoological Garden 

 antedates that of any similar establishments of Germany. 



Its nucleus was the collection of live animals of King Frederick Will- 

 iam in, located upon the " Pfaueninsel,"near Potsdam. Upon hisdeath 

 Professor Lichtenstein, the naturalist, intiueuced King Frederick Will- 

 iam IV to consign the animals, as a beginning, to a zoological garden, 

 the erection of which, in the neighborhood of the capital, had already 

 been considered. 



The former pheasant garden (Kouigliche Fasanerie) was given up to 

 the enterprise, which soon was called into existence by a syndicate, with 

 the assistance of money grants from the Government. 



For a number of years the garden served principally for scientific 

 investigations until, in about 1865, by the establishment of gardens else, 

 where the general attention was drawn toward it. A comparison with 

 the more recent establishment proved rather unfavorable to the home 

 garden. A visit of the Queen Augusta to the zoological garden at 

 Cologne gave rise to the consideration of important improvements, sug- 

 gested with the view of making the Berlin garden worthy of the dis- 

 tinction of being located in the national capital. 



The first step was the formation of a company which issued shares to 

 the amount of 300,000 mark ($75,000) and effected an additional loan of 

 1,500,000 mark ($375,000). The ground was donated by the Govern- 

 ment, and Dr. H. Bodinus, former director of the Cologne garden, was 

 invited to assume the directorship. So energetically did he proceed 

 that the first concert could be arranged for in the garden in the sum- 

 mer of 1870, before the commencement of the Franco-Prussian war. 

 The new establishment had extended its usefulness and combined the 

 scientific investigations with amusement. 



In rapid succession the various buildings were now erected which were 

 to serve as quarters for the many animals, so that, in addition to the 

 old buildings, accommodations were prepared for the mammals, aninnils 

 of prey, birds of prey, for the antelopes, birds, elephants, etc. Consid- 

 erable additions were made to the stock of animals, and thus, within a 

 remarkably short space of time, an establishment was created which, 

 while it could favorably compare with any other existing garden, was 

 also worthy its rank, and took a conspicuous place among the i)oiuts of 

 interest of the residence of the German Empire. 



With regard to the collection it may be said that it comprises repre- 

 sentatives of most all the important mammals and birds, in as many 

 species and specimens as can successfully be provided for. 



The more recent construction of a house for monkevs has oifered an 



