April 4, 1890.] 



SCIENCE. 



215 



III. New England Zoological Gardens. 



The grounds at Franklin Park assigned by tlie commissioners 

 for the use of the society are suited only to the third division of 

 the Natural History Gardens, — the higher vertebrates or the larger 

 terrestrial and aerial animals ; and here, better perhaj)s than any- 

 where else, would it be possible to carry out one of the favorite 

 projects of the supporters of the society, namely, such exhibitions 

 as would familiarize the observer with the animals of New Eng- 

 land. For in Long Crouch Woods is to be haduot only a charac- 

 teristic fragment of New England scenery and rook structure, 

 but, by tlie limitations of the surface and of the territory, it 

 would be impossible to make there any extensive display of for- 

 eign forms. 



1. The council would exhibit fully the animals of the north 

 temperate zone of the New World, limiting this zone to about 

 «ight or ten degrees of latitude on the parallels of New England, 

 and thus display those which one might see at any point within 

 the northern United States. All these animals could be cared 

 for in such a place at the minimum expense, for their habits in a 

 wild state have accustomed them to bravo all the severities and 

 "vicissitudes of our climate. It being easier to obtain and to 

 maintain the animals of this zone which are nearest home, it 

 would follow that the great bulk of the collection at all times 

 would be made up of animals characteristic of New England. 

 But as thus one of the prince features of life upon the globe is 

 necessarily touched upon, — its geographical distribution, — so 

 may the lesson be made far more telling if to this assemblage be 

 added just those animals (and no others) which in other faunas 

 speciallj represent animals indigenous to New England. Thus, 

 toinstanceoneor two points, the council would exhibit side by side 

 with the Rocky Mountain goat the chamois, structurally allied, 

 adapted for and dwelling in similar mountain regions, character- 

 istic of the Old as our own is of the New World ; beside the 

 cougar, or Apierican panther, they would display the jaguar of 

 South America ; beside the black, the brown bear ; while to cor- 

 respond with the opossum, they would seek a relative, not in the 

 more nearly allied marsupials of South America, but in the dis- 

 tinctive home of marsupials, among the strange forms which 

 occur in Australia. As it would not be necessary to seek this 

 counterpart for each animal, but in many cases only one for an 

 entire series, as with the mice, hares, foxes, and so on, it will be 

 seen that the collection would not be very largely increased, while 

 its increase would be strictly liTuited, and its educational value 

 greatly enhanced. It might be desu'able to extend the collection 

 in one or two instances ; but in these only in the case of great 

 groups, not represented in our own fauna, such as the ornitho- 

 rhynchus of New Holland, and one, possibly two (or even three), 

 of the quadruniana. Under such restrictions, which seem to be 

 absolutely required by the extent to which the grounds at this 

 point are limited, there would be a coherency and meaning to 

 the collection which it would be ditficult to find duplicated else- 

 where, and it would be a means of exhibiting the characteristic 

 features of the New England fauna and its relationships not 

 easily accomplished in any other way. 



The principal dilBculty in carrying out even this limited plan 

 is the insuiHcient surface suitable for such an exhibition. This is 

 nowhere more manifestly true than as regards the ruminants ; 

 for within the limits of Long Crouch Woods itself it would be 

 entirely impossible to display in any pleasing or profitable man- 

 ner those largest forms among our quadrupeds which excite, per- 

 haps, greater interest than any other, — the bison, moose, elk, 

 caribou, deer. For this piirpose it is absolutely essential that more 

 ground be had, at least so far as a range is concerned. And this 

 it is hoped the commissioners will grant whenever needed, per- 

 haps in the ground which has been set apart as a deer park, in 

 which it would be quite possible, by lines of wire fence practically 

 invisible, to separate such bands as could not be brought into a 

 common enclosure. 



3. What has been said thus far relates principally to the terres- 

 trial animals. Another mode of exhibition for the freer-moving, 

 aerial creatures may be advantageously pursued. Thus it might 

 be possible in a series of outdoor aviaries, sutBcienlly large to 



enclose good-sized trees, to bring together at their proper periods 

 the characteristic .«ummer or winter birds, so that one might see 

 for himself what was the avifauna of New England at any given 

 time. In others might be placed, as a permanent exhibition, 

 such of the native breeding birds as would bear association, where 

 they might lind room enough, and suitable places, for all pur- 

 poses of nesting and bringing up their young. The headlong 

 flight of some birds might prevent their exhibition here. Similar 

 aviaries for the exhibition of birds found in our north temperate 

 zone west ot New England should be placed side by side with 

 those of New England itself ; while the exhibition of foreign 

 birds for comparative purposes, limited in the same way as those 

 of the less freely moving vertebrates, would be more naturally 

 disposed in the mode common in foreign gardens. 



3. Long Crouch Woods, then, would be par excellence a New 

 England exhibit; and such a display would naturally lose much 

 of its interest in the winter time. If, however, there could be 

 combined with this a winter garden situated in Sargent's Field, 

 adjoining, cost alone would prevent it from becoming so attrac- 

 tive as to make it a constant jilace of resort at all times, and par- 

 ticularly during the colder months of the year. Here, in a large 

 but simple structure of glass and iron handsome rather in its 

 proportions than through decorative attachments, warmed so as 

 to have a very constant but not too high temperature throughout 

 the winter, one would walk upon the unfrozen ground in a garden 

 where varied and luxuriant vegetable forms would enable him to 

 imagine himself in the midst of the tropics. The loftier vegeta- 

 tion, like the bamboos and certain palms, could be grouped in a 

 higher central portion; while miniature ponds and fountains, 

 reached by winding walks, would everywhere afford special nooks 

 for aquatic or spray-loving plants. This could be enlivened still 

 further with a very few of the more brilliant-plumaged birds and 

 songsters in aviaries, aquatic birds on the ponds, and with here 

 and there an enclosure containing some small creature, sj^ecially 

 pleasing by its form or attractive by its habits, — a gazelle, a jer- 

 boa, perhaps a spider-monkey; a chameleon, a Surinam toad, or 

 a garter-snake. The possibilities of such a scheme are f ascina ting ; 

 and the structure should be so arranged and situated that exten- 

 sive additions could be made to it, and that it could be approached 

 directly by conveyance to the door. An ordinary greenhouse 

 would, of course, be necessary as an adjunct of the winter garden, 

 for forcing plants for ornamental purposes. 



4. An insectary should be built; and, both for economic reasons 

 in construction and heating and for the convenient proximity of 

 the necessary food-plants, it; should be an annex to the green- 

 house. Colonies of striking and curious insects, especially the 

 social insects, undergoing their transformations, might be ex- 

 hibited in a small, single-storied structure of glass and iron, like 

 an ordinary conservatory, with no more flooring than would be 

 required for passageways between the plants and shrubs. Such 

 a collection would be inexpensive and attractive, and, without in 

 any way curtailing its pulilic use, would afford ample oppor- 

 tunity for scientific experimentation of an important kind. 

 Pedigree breedmg, for instance, or breeding in constant temper- 

 atures, whether high, low, or average, might here be carried on 

 upon a large scale. Indeed, the opportunities are so great that 

 the choice of subjects would be difficult, so many would claim 

 attention; and it would be quite possible to display a changing 

 round of attractive and instructive sights from week to week 

 throughout the year. 



The educational use that can be made of these three different 

 divisions of the Natural History Gardens, forming one connected 

 whole, — one in principle, but varying in details to suit the special 

 needs of each division, and the adaptability of the separate loca- 

 tions, — will undoubtedly meet the requirements of the present, 

 and also give the necessary freedom for enlargement or modifi- 

 cation needed by future generations. It will be seen, also, that 

 the New England element enters into each division in varying 

 proportions, as circumstances permit, and to the greatest degree 

 where the objects concerned are more commonly known, being 

 most developed among the higher animals, with which, from 

 their size and their relations to man, the public is more familiar. 



The difficulties which surround the whole project, — in many 



