14 THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS OF EUROPE 



Suresnes omnibuses, or, of course, by cab. On concert 

 days there is a special service of omnibuses. 



Two prominent stone-and-brick buildings will direct 

 the visitor. After having passed the turnstile, you find 

 in front of you a large carriage-drive, which goes right 

 round the Garden, and from this principal artery the 

 whole network of walks and paths runs through the 

 Garden leading to the different sheds and houses. The 

 visitor finds on his immediate left a large conserva- 

 tory or winter garden, which shelters from the rigour 

 of winter a beautiful and important collection of plants 

 and trees, which would not live in a low temperature. 



Almost in front of this large conservatory you see a 

 building, which is intended for the mechanical fattening 

 of fowls (a system not to be encouraged). Here is to 

 be seen on a big scale M. Martin's system. The 

 fowls are placed in a huge circular cylinder, three 

 metres high and turning on a pivot, which allows the 

 man to cram all the fowls (which are placed in the 

 boxes ranged in tiers one above another) in this fatten- 

 ing apparatus without changing his position. A car 

 on an elevating rail allows the man easily to reach 

 those birds placed on the highest part of the apparatus, 

 for, by turning a handle, the car rises or descends in 

 front of the boxes. Holding them by the head, he 

 introduces an indiarubber tube into their beaks, and 

 forces the food down then- throats by pressing with his 

 foot a pedal, which starts a machine worked by a piston. 

 The play of this j^edal is regulated by a dial-plate, 

 which shows the operator the amount of food intro- 

 duced. This varies according to the strength of the 

 bird to be fattened, and also to its state of fatness. 



