136 FAUNISTIC NOTES 



the Museum, where they underwent post-mortem examination 

 on Professor Rolleston's dissecting-tables. 



To-day the chief object of interest to many visitors to the 

 Garden is the tank with the Gold-fish which will eat crumbs, 

 in the Water-lily House. A few years ago, the same house 

 was regarded with awe by the younger generation, partly 

 because it was always locked up, and partly because it had 

 the unearned reputation of being the place where the 

 " Magdalen Giant " was grown. 



For those who are interested in historical records, we may 

 note that the first recorded fish-tank in the vicinity was the 

 open-air pond belonging to Magdalen College at no great 

 distance from the Garden. 



In 1551 the College leased an ichthyotrophion sive vivarium 

 piscarium^ situated between the cubiculum promorum on the 

 west and the College meadow on the east (Macray's Register). 



In 1856 two prizes of ^25 and ^20 were offered by the 

 Lee's Reader in Anatomy for the two best monographs "On the 

 Fauna of Christ Church Meadow and the adjoining Waters." 

 The larger prize was for the Invertebrate, the smaller for 

 the Vertebrate Fauna, and the essays were to be sent to the 

 Dean of Christ Church, who was assisted by a strong body of 

 judges. But according to Cox * no essay was sent in. 



In 1858 Dr. Acland and Sir Walter Trevelyan offered 

 another prize for the best essay " On Rearing Fish in the 

 Cherwell and Isis." 



BIRDS 



The earliest note I have come across relating to a bird in 

 the Garden is about a Thrush which built its nest in the middle 



* Cox wrote, that since the recent masonry and palisades round " the 

 Meadow," it would be idle to look for specimens of Fauna or Flora there : 



Stone and iron will soon environ 



All Oxford Walks, or near it; 

 But be it known to iron and stone, 



That men of taste can't bear it, 



