172 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



value of public parks — are the morals elevated, the sense of 

 beauty increased, and the tastes refined? 



David H. Brown inquired whether the territory taken by the 

 Metropolitan Park Commission, under the general name of 

 Middlesex Fells, comprised all the land on the southern side that 

 ought to be included in the public reservation. 



Mr. Baxter said that if the Commissioners had been empowered 

 to take all the land on the south side that they considered desirable 

 to include in the public reservation, it was feared by some that 

 Medford would not have much room to develop in that direction. 

 Moreover it might have involved too great an expense. However, 

 since the final action of the Commissioners, it is said that those 

 who were then opposed to the southern extension of that reserva- 

 tion have changed their views, and that desirable additions may 

 possibly yet be made to the Middlesex Fells. It is also intimated 

 that the Blue Hills reservation will receive additions, by gift 

 possibly, amounting to several hundred acres. The Middlesex 

 Fells, the Lynn Woods, and the Blue Hills will afford admirable 

 haunts for innoxious wild animals that can live in this climate. 

 No shooting will be allowed. A Zoological Garden, in connection 

 with Boston Parks, has been much desired, as an addition to the 

 attractions of this city. The Boston Society of Natural History 

 has long had under consideration plans for the establishment of 

 such a collection, but has not been as active as it should have been 

 in its endeavor to realize them. The institution of the Metropol- 

 itan Park System is a decided step toward making some plan 

 of that kind practicable. Had more energy been shown in the 

 movement to realize this project, the Aquarium designed for Marine 

 Park, and the proposed Zoological Garden in Franklin Park,, 

 might now have been well under way. 



Mr. Chase asked whether every large park should not have a 

 zoological garden as a part of its area, in which typical animals of 

 our latitude and of other latitudes with congenial climates should 

 be kept for public amusement and instruction, especially as object 

 lessons for the youth of our cities who are studying geography 

 and zoology. In the zoological gardens in other cities the deer 

 will nibble bread from one's hand. The kind treatment of these 

 animals would form an education in humanitv for the young. 



Mr. Baxter, in answer to a question, said that Boston had 

 no method of setting aside land for public use except seizing it by 



