Domestic Notices : r— Eiigla nd. 99 



the most splendid description, and upon the grandest scale of any, perhaps, in 

 the world, and, when in full play, present one of the most striking effects ima- 

 ginable, surpassing the conceptions of most persons, except those who have 

 witnessed them ; though, on account of the enormous expense of keepin» 

 them at work, they do not play, at the most, more than two or three days in the 

 course of the year. 



It would seem that Britain is rather peculiarly favoured above most of her 

 Continental neighbours, by the distribution of her streams and rivulets in such 

 a way as to give greater facilities for employing them in accordance with the 

 English taste of the present day ; and this taste has, perhaps, in some measure 

 grown out of those facilities which are offered for employing them in artificially- 

 rendering the scenery in their vicinities such as we see them. — T. Rutger. 

 Shortgrove, 1834. 



Public Gardens and hiterary Institutions. — Mr. Buckingham has brought into 

 parliament a bill for the better preservation of public health and morals, by 

 empowering the majority of rate-payers to establish Literary Institutions and 

 Gardens, or other places of public recreation in the open air. (See Morn. 

 Ch?'on.,Ju\y 10th and 16th, 1835.) The proposal met with the most favour- 

 able reception from the House j and, should the bill pass into a law, it will be 

 one of the noblest victories ever gained by the majority against the few. We 

 trust that gardeners will not be wanting in urging on this measure wherever 

 they have any influence, and in giving their advice and assistance gratis, in lay- 

 ing out the gardens, and planting them with trees, shrubs, and plants, in such 

 a manner that as there shall not be a single duplicate. 



This was written in July. In August the bill was withdrawn ; but we have 

 no doubt it will be presented again next session. — Cond. 



The Biistol, Clifton, and West of England Zoological Sociefy. — We are happy 

 to learn that the plan, recently adopted, of establishing a Zoological Garden in 

 the neighbourhood of this city, has been so favourably received, that no doubt 

 remains of its successful accomplishment. The capital stock required has been 

 raised without the necessity of any special solicitation, or even the common 

 preliminary of a general appeal to the public. Had such an appeal been made, 

 It is probable that the nobility and gentry of this and the adjoining counties, to 

 the greater number of whom the plan at the present moment is absolutely un- 

 known, would have been eager to give their patronage to an undertaking that 

 promises, both in utility and ornament, to hold so distinguished a rank among 

 the great features of improvement which are now in the rapid progress of de- 

 velopement among us. When the elements of our commercial prosperity are 

 receiving daily the most powerful stimulants, we hail with pleasure the simul- 

 taneous excitements in literature and science, which such institutions as the 

 Zoological Society are now administering to the public mind and taste. We 

 trust that the spirited institutors of this establishment will be encouraged, by 

 the cordial support it has so instantaneously received, to extend their plans of 

 improvement, open their books to a greater number of subscribers, and thus 

 procure resources for completely perfecting it in all its details, and for ex- 

 tending its plan, so as to combine with it other and not less necessary im- 

 provements. A Botanical Garden, for instance, might be most advantageously 

 combined with the Zoological, and each would be essentially auxiliary to the 

 other. If these were united in their locality, as well as in their noble objects, 

 we might look forward to a scene in our immediate vicinity of more attraction 

 than can be found in any other direction of the United Kingdom. — Bristol 

 Mirror. 



We understand that this garden has been laid out by our friend Mr. Forrest, 

 late of Syon House Gardens. We hope the progress of improvement will not 

 stop till not only every town, but every village, will have its garden, its arbo- 

 retum, its library, and its museum, of some sort. But we should like to see the 

 thing done, not by subscription, as it must necessarily be in the present in- 

 fant state of this kind of improvement, but, on Mr. Buckingham's plan, at the 

 expense of all, and for the benefit of all. We should like to see every little 



