xin IMPROVED BUILDINGS 183 



of a pair of pythons, which were kept closely covered in a 

 box of limited dimensions in one of the smaller Carnivora- 

 houses. In 1849 the building which had been rendered 

 vacant by the removal of the lions to the new terrace was 

 fitted up with cases with plate-glass fronts on a plan entirely 

 novel in this country, and which for many years afforded an 

 instructive exhibition of the forms, colours, and movements 

 of many species of serpents, lizards, and crocodiles. This 

 house was a vast improvement upon anything of the kind 

 ever seen before ; but the contrast between it and the present 

 handsome and spacious building so recently erected in the 

 south-eastern corner of the grounds affords another illustration 

 of the great progress we are. making. 



If time allowed I might also refer to the Elephant-house, 

 completed in 1870, to the Insect-house, opened in 1881, and 

 to various others of less importance. 



The erection of these houses has necessarily been a very 

 costly undertaking; in fact, since what may be called the 

 reconstruction of the permanent buildings of the Gardens, 

 which commenced in the year 1860, more than 50,000 has 

 been expended upon them. It is only in years of great 

 prosperity, when the Society's income has considerably exceeded 

 its necessarily large permanent expenditure, that works such 

 as these can be undertaken. 



Much as has been done in this direction, we must all admit 

 that there is still more required. The buildings of to-day 

 will, we may even hope, some day seem to our successors what 

 the former ones appear to us. The old idea of keeping 

 animals in small cramped cages and dens, inherited from the 

 Tower and travelling wild-beast shows, still lingers in many 

 places. We have a responsibility to our captive animals, 

 brought from their native wilds to minister to our pleasure 

 and instruction, beyond that of merely supplying them with 

 food and shelter. The more their comfort can be studied, the 

 roomier their place of captivity, the more they are surrounded 

 by conditions reproducing those of their native haunts, the 

 happier they will be, and the more enjoyment and instruction 

 we shall obtain when looking at them. Many of our newest 

 improvements are markedly in this direction. I may especially 



